1st July, 2011
Just yesterday, I was opportuned to discuss with a good friend of mine who I respect so much because of his level of reasoning and approach to issues. We talked about a lot of issues affecting us as Nigerians. But there is one that really caught my attention and got me thinking for a very long time.
We raised so many reasons people, especially Nigerians, change their names. Gradually, our family names are going with nobody talking about it. Let us start with women; women are no longer original in everything they do, not only in the area of beauty and lifestyle, but also their names.
It is now very fashionable for a woman to drop her husbandâ€
Look at it this way; assuming Okeke has three sons and each of them got married to women who feel they are too educated or polished to add the family name to theirs, what happens in the next three generations? Some of these ladies will add the manâ€
Men should discourage their wives from this mistake in the name of civilization. My friend took a step further to ask a woman her reason for putting the husbandâ€
A lot of women may not like me for saying this; but I donâ€
We are gradually losing our family names and the parents are not saying anything about this. It is very rampant among the Igbos because I have come to the realisation that the other Nigerian tribes are proud of their names as against Igbos who change their names with just one trip to Togo.
I know some people will criticize me as usual for saying this truth, but it doesnâ€
Now, let us let the girls be; what about my brothers? Why should any reasonable man decide to drop his family name just because he wants to gain acceptance in a particular environment? I get confused these days when I try to guess peopleâ€
Have you taken out time to look at the names we have on Facebook? I see Yorubas and Hausas chat in their local languages wherever they are, but when you meet your fellow easterner, the first confusion that sets in is with his name as you canâ€
Why should a man be foolish to the point of forfeiting his family name? We now have names like Macloyd; MacDaniel, MacAnthony…It is sad, really sad. Whenever you see a Nigerian man who has these names, please think and see a man who is low in self-esteem and is in a serious battle with complex. A real man will never forfeit his traditional or family name for one oyibo name. You donâ€
Can I even ask you a question; do you know the meaning of all those Jennifer, Beyonce, Curry and Thyme, you have as names? Isnâ€
I see some people take up their pastorâ€
We also have to be very careful about the names we give to children all in the name of Christianity. I look at some names with certainty that the children are going to change them once they get to the university because they canâ€
I have heard names like Shekinahglory, Divinetreasure, Divineark; what do you think will happen to these names in the nearest future? Let us stop being too spiritual with the names we give to our children. Give them good names, but please try to be discerning in the process. Give your child a name he or she can comfortably and proudly keep when he or she is in the university because if you donâ€
I prefer calling my children their Igbo names and I have no regrets about it. We should do everything possible to take these children back to their roots. I know they sometimes come up with some funny things. I remember my daughter telling me to write to the school to change her name to Chelsea. Lovely name I said, but I am sorry I wonâ€
Let us go back to our roots and regain our lost identities. Travelling out of the country shouldnâ€