Nigerian-US-based linguistic evolutionist and creator of Guosa African language, Professor Alex Igbineweka, has said that the language, if adopted as the indigenous lingua franca for Nigeria and other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member nations, is the panacea for the unification of the diversity of Nigeria and the West African sub-regional language groups, adding that “the language is the centerpiece of Nigeria and ECOWAS unity.”
For the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) 1988 retiree, America is, indeed, a land of opportunity. The ‘God’s Own Country,’ tag proved real to him when Boston University, Massachusetts handed out an invitation to him after retirement to lecture international communities about the Guosa language creation because the Nigerian government and her language experts couldn’t give him the opportunity to grow on his linguistic ingenuity.
He commended the American government for providing him with the opportunity to grow his linguistic talent, adding that till date, the Linguistics Association of Nigeria “was not serious about looking inwards by using what we have to achieve what we need in the Nigerian lingua-franca programmes and policies. Instead, they were bent on signing up Chinese and foreign languages into the school curriculum at the expense of our indigenous languages, yet we want Nigeria to unite? “What a shame of hoping against hopes!” He exclaimed.
He said that he was inspired to create Guosa language as a lingua franca for the promotion of peace, unity, identity, political stability, arts, culture and science among Nigeria and the ECOWAS region, adding that the language has been accredited by the American government but efforts for same in Nigeria has proved abortive.
Igbineweka, who is a member of World Language Creation Society (LCS), said he has written more than eight books on Guosa language, in addition to several Wikipedias written by Europeans and Americans Linguist’s.
He listed some of books published on Guosa language to include: Teach Yourself Guosa Language Book I: Express Publication, 1981,Teach Yourself Guosa Language Book II: Guosa Educational, Scientific and Cultural Inst., Inc., 2000, The Complete Dictionary of Guosa Language: Guosa Educational, Scientific & Cultural Inst., Inc., 2007, The Complete Dictionary of Guosa Language, among others.
He explained how the journey to developing the language began when, “I started my elementary education at St. Stephen’s School, East Circular Road, Benin City, Nigeria in the late 1950s and finished at the Lagos City Council School, Okesuna, Lagos in the late 1960s. My early education was longer than usual because I was living with my late uncle and guardian father, his royal majesty OmoN’oba N’edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa who was then the District Administrator of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria. He was transferred to Lagos on May 22, 1965 when the Nigerian-Biafra civil war was very imminent.
“He took me along with his biological children and that was how I found myself in Lagos.
I had the opportunity to learn Igbo and other elementary eastern Nigerian languages while at Enugu because most of the houseboys employed by my late uncle/dad were from different parts of the eastern region, such as the Efik, Ibibio, Kalabari, e.t.c. I was quick to learn their languages and dialects in addition to the existing nine Nigerian languages broadcast by the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
While in Lagos, I attended the Cosmopolitan Evening College, now defunct and obtained 5 “O” level papers in the West African General Certificate of Education, (GCE). I also attended the Federal Training Center in Kaduna where I got my professional secretarial certificates of 120 words per minute in shorthand dictation. “While in training, I used the opportunity to learn some Hausa, Kanuri, Tiv and other linguistic orientations from the northern part of Nigeria. With my secretarial proficiency I was employed by the Nigerian Army, S&T Brigade Apapa. I worked there for few years, and left for the Nigerian Navy, NNS Beecroft as a Typist/Stenographer. I was also employed by the Nigerian Television Authority in the mid-1980s as a Confidential Secretary and rose to the position of a Principal Secretary until I retired and left Nigeria to the United States of America on the invitation of Boston University, Massachusetts to lecture the international communities about the Guosa language creation. Because the Nigerian government and her language experts won’t listen to me or give me the opportunity to grow on my linguistic ingenuity.”
He noted that his first invitation to the United States was in 1988, adding that this was followed nine years later by the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford University both in California. “And that was how I became a Californian and a US permanent resident till date.
“On the whole, language evolution and creation is my talent, my inspiration and my stock in trade. For me, one does not have to be a PhD holder to be a scientific language creator. It is an inspiration and natural gift from those who sit above us and inherent in my ancestral root,” he said.
The don, however, appealed to the Nigeria government to come to his aid in the development and teaching of Guosa language for her linguistic unity and the thrills of the language.
“If only our leaders will humble themselves, put down egos or the English language grammatical camouflaging theories to learn, it will facilitate communication and commerce in Nigeria.”
He equally explained how he partnered the University of Abuja for the annual Guosa Language Day.
“A few years ago, the University of Abuja took the lead by offering Guosa language certificates upon successful completion of its Guosa language vocational studies. For me one does not need an English or Chinese certification to qualify as a Guosa linguist; it is from the ECOWAS, for the ECOWAS and by the ECOWAS. One can have PhD in Chinese, Italian and Interslavic languages, and PhD “Otohen” in Guosa language is not a bad idea.
“The Nigeria Universities Commission can approve the award of Guosa language degrees and titles to whosoever qualified and passed the board’s examination.
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