I have continuously adopted a "sidon look" approach to issues affecting My beloved country Nigeria. However recent issues emanating from that side of the African continent has forced me and I believe many with like minds to get up and begin to engage with these issues. Two main reasons are behind this attitudinal change. The first reason is the growing State of insecurity with the sudden escalation of the Boko Haram activities in the Northern parts of the country and secondly the growing spirit of awareness which I believe we all noticed from the times prior to the most recent elections. Save for the independence era I can say that the hunger  to understand, discuss, criticize and affect governmental issues evident in the current Nigerian populace at home and abroad cannot be equated with any other time (I stand to be corrected). It is against this backdrop that this blog has been set up.

Having said this the the issue giving me sleepless night at the moment and also adding to the migraine caused by the Boko Haram nuisance is the gist spreading around different media outlets. Nigeria as we know is made up of different peoples with different languages bringing about the usual mantra "unity in diversity". The diversity continues to be very well present while the unity seems to elude us daily, as if we do not have enough problems some people are canvassing for a bill that would enable each of the 36 states of Nigeria have an official language. At first glance this might sound wise and even noble but when we look at language as a very powerful tool used to transfer the ways and culture of a people from one generation to another and also as a tool of dominance the idea seems to border along the areas of ineptitude if not border line madness. Rather than thinking of ways to bring us together people want to increase our divide. In a state like Delta that is home to the Uhrobo, Itsekiri, the Delta Igbos e.t.c how do you choose an official language without causing rancour among the tribes of the state. To think that the National Institute for Culture Orientation a Nigerian agency which was giving life by Act 93 of 1993 (according to their website http://www.nico.gov.ng) and charged with the responsibility of promoting culture seems to be linked to this idea is quite worrisome. For the sake of reason I hope it is only rumour. You can read these articles one of which is from a national daily and make you own opinion. (Both links were accessed on the 25th of July 2011). I would like to get your opinions. Click here for Vanguard article and here for allafrica article.