Experts at a recently held virtual summit, organised by the American chapter of the Esan World Congress (EWC), have expressed fears that the Esan language and culture may go extinct in the next 50 years unless deliberate efforts are made to nurture and promote it.
They revealed that pidgin English has virtually replaced Esan, even in the five Local Government Areas of Edo State, where it is native, lamenting that this has waned the number of speakers and those who transact business in the language.
Themed, “Esan Heritage, Leadership, and Legacy”, the summit brought together voices from the academia, professionals, leaders of thoughts, youth and women organizations, traditional institutions and the diaspora.
While commending the efforts of renowned author of Esan books, Mr. Andrew Odiagbe, for popularising the language with his book, Esan English Dictionary, the Chairman of the event, Commodore Patrick Udabor (rtd.) reeled out his worries.
Sharing Udabor’s not too heart warming views is Simeon Osazuwa, a professor of Francophone Literature with specialisation in African Literature and Literary Criticism.
Presenting a paper titled, “Unifying Esan Voices”, Osazuwa said: ‘Without sounding alarmist here, it is quite possible for Esan language in its core disappears and becomes extinct from fifty to a hundred years from now.
‘You only need to observe the rate at which most homes have taken pidgin English as their language, bringing up children in it. Indeed, many languages have thrived for varying periods and died.
‘God forbid, but we are talking of Esan people because of the common cultural identity carried by the language’.
In the words of acclaimed Linguistics Scholar, Prof. Philomena Ejele: “Linguistically, by classification, Esan is a North-Central Edoid language which is subsumed under Benue-Congo within the Niger-Congo language family.
Thirty-five clans speaking varieties of the language make up the Esan language group spoken in the Edo Central Senatorial Zone occupying 2,987.52 square meters of the state, she noted.
Explaining how many traditional and cultural practices, including food, dances, mores, artifacts and attires like igbulu have taken flight, Prof Charles Aluede, in his paper, titled, “Cultural Heritage and Leadership: The Role of Esan Leaders in a Changing World”, lamented the disappearance of these practices.
Aluede said: ‘Today we are happy to showcase new palaces but we have no records of the previous ones. Today we are happy to showcase new church buildings, but we have no records of the cradle of Catholicism in Esanland.
‘The waterfalls in Oria and other Esan kingdoms are abandoned, and there is no government or private initiative to make them places of tourist attraction. The arts and crafts that were usually displayed in Ivue in Uromi have eclipsed. Igbulu of the Esan people is today mainly woven by the Somorika people in Akoko-Edo and the sisters of the Sacred Heart Convent at Atani in Uromi’.
Esan which orthography was approved in the early 80s by the Federal Government was previously offered at West African School Certificate Examinations until it was discontinued. Although the new National Policy on Promotion of Indigenous Languages makes it compulsory to teach Esan in the communities where the language is domiciled from primary one to JSS3, the Edo State Government is yet to implement this.
Also decrying the absence of strong leaders and rallying persons in the mold of elder statesmen like Chief Anthony Enahoro, mover of the historic motion for independence of Nigeria in 1956, former Governor of defunct Bendel State, Prof. Ambrose Alli, acclaimed political strong man, Chief Tony Aneni;h and former military Vice President, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, the discussants advocated for strategic leadership to champion the interests of the Esan people.
Calling for urgent action from the Federal and Edo State Governments to tackle growing security challenges in Esanland, they argue that many of the latter day political leaders have not impacted on the development of Esan communities leading to decrepit infrastructure, near abandonment of agriculture and massive youth unemployment.
They also lauded the Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), a socio-cultural non-political movement, for its vision, strides and campaigns that led to the emergence of an Esan son, Senator Monday Okpebholo as Edo State Governor in last September’s governorship election.
According to Ejele whose paper is titled, “Strategic Leadership for Esan Development: Harnessing Global and Local Resources”, ‘EOI was in the forefront of leading the campaign, predicated on fairness, equity and justice, given that it was the only zone that had not governed in the last 17 years. As it was, it was the turn of Esan, having last had a State Governor seventeen years ago’.
Earlier, the President of Esan World Congress USA/Canada, Dr. Eromonsele Idahosa said that the summit, now in its second edition, is ‘a significant step in our collective journey to rekindle the fire of purpose, unity, and progress for the Esan people, both at home and in the Diaspora.
‘Permit me to specially commend and appreciate the dedication and brilliance of the Summit Team, under the able leadership of our indefatigable Secretary General, Professor Ehiyamen Osezua of the University of Texas at Austin, USA. His vision, commitment, and scholarly leadership have once again brought us together,to reflect, to strategize, and to forge a better path forward for the Esan Nation.
‘This year’s summit is not just a meeting of minds; it is a movement providing historical and contemporary context to Esan Heritage and Leadership, while laying the intellectual and cultural foundation for a better and thriving Esan Nation’.
The Secretary General, Prof. Osezua, announced a groundbreaking initiative, the establishment of the EWC Journal of Organisational Leadership, which will serve as a repository of the knowledge, experiences, and insights shared at this summit. This journal, he said, ‘will be a scholarly platform to document our conversations, shape future research, and amplify Esan voices in the global leadership discourse’.
He also disclosed that a post-summit implementation committee will be inaugurated, in collaboration with strategic partners such as EOI, the Association of Esan Professionals, the Onojies (traditional rulers), and other critical stakeholders in business and academia from the Esan community worldwide.
