CONFAB: I want to speak my Yoruba language - says Tunde Bakare Religious and Language Controversy Rears its Head at the National Conference ------------------- Also, one of the voices heard at the conference on Tuesday was that of a delegate from Ogun State, Pastor Tunde Bakare. The convener of the Save Nigeria Group asked Kutigi for a standard language of communication. Bakare had responded to conference chairman’s opening greeting in Arabic. Kutigi had shouted, Asalam Aleikum Warahamotulahi Wabarakatuhu, meaning, ‘peace and mercy of God be upon you all.’ He said the chairman used the same language on Monday during the inauguration of the conference and that he (Bakare) had to ask a fellow delegate the meaning of what the chairman said. He said there could be a problem if he started his speech at the conference with a request that delegates should shout alleluia. When asked by journalists later if his comment would not create a controversy, Bakare said, “There is no controversy at all. I just said that we must adopt the language of communication while we are meeting here so that we are sensitive to other people’s need. “For example, the secretary said there is room for those who want to say their five times prayer, we accept that room should be made for them but they should have thought of Christians also; it is Lenten season. Is there a place for them? They should have thought of that. Those are the things that are dividing us; they do not need to divide us. We refuse to be divided along the path of religion. “I was a Muslim as a little child. I grew up studying the Koran so I know the values of both religions. I am now a pastor but let us have a language of decorum. “If I am going to say ‘Praise the Lord somebody’, I am having a church service; the same thing goes for Asalam Aleikum Warahamotulahi Wabarakatuhu. So let’s adopt the common language that we all use here and let us stick with that, that’s all. No controversy at all and let us keep time; punctuality is the soul of business.” --culled from The Punch
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:09:57 +0000
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