An actor and movie producer, Yomi Fash-Lanso, has sounded a note of warning to parents insisting that their children learn foreign language to the detriment of their local tongues.

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It is a common practice among African parents, especially Nigerians, to indoctrinate their wards that foreign languages like English, French and Chinese are superior to their native tongues.

In a video shared on social media, the Freelanews ambassador implored parents to start reversing such notion when he was informed by his partner on the clip that Indians tutor children how to speak Yoruba and Igbo for a fee in Canada.

“Our own children, they can’t speak Yoruba, they can’t Igbo. For you to teach them, there is a school in [tooltip text=”Etobicoke ” gravity=”nw”]Etobicoke (/ɛˈtoʊbɪkoʊ/ ( listen), e-TOH-bi-koh) is an administrative district and former city within Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[/tooltip], Indians lo nko won in Canada here,” his partner was heard saying.

“A nso nisiyi, o da bi ere. Tiyin ti ba yin te je ka awon omo yin ma so ede yin. Te nso winwinwinwinwinwin, se ngbo? Awon Indians, foreigners lo nko awon omo yin l’ede yin; either Yoruba or Igbo ni Canada nibi ba yi! Are we not in deep shit?!” he asked.

@freelanews Indians now tutor children how to speak Yoruba and Igbo in Canada #trending #foryou #goviral #naijapolitics #foryourpage #tiktoknaija ♬ original sound – Freelanews

The actor’s charge is in consonant with the increasing and renewed calls on Nigerians to deepen the appreciation of native languages in the country.

A group under the auspices of the Yoruba Global Council recently called on the Federal Government to make the laws of the land available in Yoruba language.

The Council’s global president Aare (Barr.) Oladotun Hassan, stated this at the World Omoluabi Day event held in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Southwest Nigeria.

This, he noted will create in citizens a better understanding of the processes of governance and ultimately help improve the quality of the system.

He said, “We believe democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people and that is why we are using this occasion to inform the Federal Government that there is need to address the issues with our constitution.

“There is need for the Federal Government to bring the constitution to the understanding of the people so that they can be properly informed and when we need to make amendment on that constitution or restructure the system, everything can be properly checkmated and citizens will not be taken for granted.

“Therefore, using the occasion of today, we demand that the Federal Government should as a matter of priority interpret the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Yoruba language,” he said.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.