By Shey Godbless
The Fon of Bambui Village of Tubah Subdivision in Mezam Division has received the recently translated biblical book of Luke to the language of his people. At the reception of the land mark translation on Thursday 30 June 2022, His Royal Majesty Fon AGAFOR III called on his kindred to do everything possible to maintain the Bambui Language.
While being thankful to the Almighty God for the landmark achievement, the Monarch stressed that by translating the Book of Luke into the language of birth of the people of Bambui, God has been brought closer to the people of his Fondom.
“We cannot do anything even developmental without our God taking the lead. So translation of the book of Luke is already Gods power working in this people and being manifested in the language. This is bringing God closer to the people. That is my greatest joy,” he quipped.
The traditional ruler frowned at the spike in the adulteration of African languages positing that it is necessary for Africans to identify themselves with their different languages because they remained the best identity which must be preserved at all cost and the bible is one of the best methods of persevering the languages.
“Adulterating our language is my greatest worry, which I think we must fight it and situate ourselves, identify ourselves, by our own language”, he stated.
The reception of the translated version of the book of Luke took place at the main hall of the Bambui Fon's palace and brought together the different stakeholders involved in the translation process and a large crowd of villagers. The different denominations operating in the area were represented.
One of the stakeholders in the project is the Bambui Language development and literacy Association. The chairman Mibonilah Roland Aki expressed total satisfaction at the end of a very long and tedious journey which at times entailed they worked day and night to attend the goal they were showcasing to the public. The proceeds which the Bambui population had gladly received.
Unlike where people go to school and the school does not have any impact on them, Mibonilah Roland Aki hopes and prays that the coming of the word of God in the Bambui language should be a catalyst of change on the moral standards of the people of that locality.
For the past three years, CABTAL bible consultant Pastor Sam Ngeh worked rigorously with translators to ensure that the final product meet the required international standards. While expressing joy, he quipped that they started on a limping note with the demise of one of theirs at dawn of translation. This and other challenges were some of the barriers that stood their way as he and his team relented no effort to go through with the book of Luke.
According to Angafor Julius who is one of the translators, the task was enormous and they took two years for the book of Luke to be completed. The delay in the process to complete he said, was due to on and off calls for other duties and trainings to enhance a better and internationally accepted translated version of the book.
One of the consumers of the product, AGAFOR Peter says with the Bible in their own language, Children are going to know God better as the best gift for a child these days is teaching him or her the ways of God.
Apart from the book of Luke translated into the Bambui language, the Bambui Language development and literacy Association has some literature in their mother tongue ranging from their alphabet to useful flyers to health tips.
It is hoped that the days ahead will bring more smiles to the local populace who are definitely going to grasp more of the hidden treasure in the scriptures as recorded by Saint Luke, this as preparations continue for the continuation in the translation of the other books of the bible. This was proof of the mammoth crowd that turned out to be witnesses the occasion.
Many African cultures are striving hard to ensure that their indigenous languages are maintained both in the oral or written form. This is coming at a time when western cultures are seemingly overcoming African cultures and swallowing African values most especially in the area of languages. Ironically, while many research topics by some western or well-structured institutions of higher learning are increasingly focusing on topics from the African culture; most Africans believe that what comes from the west or that Western languages are superior to African languages.
Very few Africans can boldly stand up and boast that they are completely literate in their mother tongues. Those who are even trying to speak their mother tongues do it with juxtaposition of the western language and their mother tongues just to sound big or before being able to communicate to their kindred, a thing which will not be practiced by their fellow peers from the Western world of by the Whites.
In the wake of this, there are increasing attempts by different language groups to preserve their languages from either extinction or being adulterated.
CABTAL has successfully translated the Bible to many languages in the North West.