Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, has said the progress and development of the state will be imminent and sustainable if its language and heritage are duly promoted and preserved by the people.
Rt. Hon. Bassey, who made this known in Uyo on Thursday when members of the #BringBackOurLanguage Foundation paid him a courtesy call, said “our language is the cultural vehicle that drives development, unity, progress and harmony. It must be preserved and revered.”
While appreciating members of the Foundation for their selfless sacrifice in the propagation of the Akwa Ibom language, the Speaker said “As a man that respects Akwa Ibom culture and values, I will continue to support this Foundation. Our language is our identity and I am yet to see any developed country with a borrowed language. So, we must strive to restore the consciousness of our language in the minds of our people.”
The Speaker lauded the spate at which the Foundation has grew to over 26,000 registered members within the short period and urged members of the Foundation not to relent in their quest to keep Akwa Ibom language and heritage alive.
Earlier, the President of the Foundation, Akparawa Mike Umoh, who informed the Speaker that the Foundation started in 2007, thanked him for his support, encouragement and concerns for the Foundation.
He further appealed to the Speaker for the enactment of relevant laws to support the work and workings of the Foundation.
Highpoint of the visit was the formal decoration of the Speaker as a member of the Foundation.
