INTERVIEW WITH ERIATA ORIBHABOR, POET AND WRITER, IN PIDGIN ENGLISH

Interview Done by Lucius Ndimele In Naija Languej

Naija pipul go laik sabi hu Eriata Oribhabor bi?

Eriata Oribhabor na puet and raita wen stat to rait puem fo Naija languej. Na im rait di buk; Abuja Na Kpangba An Oda Puem-Dem (2011), edito; If Yu Hie Se A De Prizin (Antoloji of puem-dem fo Naija languej – 2012) and edito; Amebo Yad (Antoloji of ple-dem fo Naija languej). Som buk wen Eriata don rait fo Inglish languej na; ‘‘Beautiful Poisons’’, “CrossRoads & The Rubicon” and Who Shall I Make My Wife? (anthology of food – related poems). Bot som of im buk wen neva kom aut fo Inglish languej na; “That Beautiful Picture” and anoda won wen neva get nem. Anoda of im buk wen im bi edito na; Join Me Write a Poem (Anthology). Won of im pawaful buk wen go kom aut next ye na; Gud Old Naija (Collection of Essays written in English and spiced with Naija).

Mista Eriata na pesin wen gada akshon fo hau to tek puem and enitin wen konsain puem to eni levul, im de promot hau to ‘‘read’and rait puem fo difren-difren puem program wen im de du fo Lagos, im de giv hand of sopot to difren-difren pipul to si se plenti pipul go de laik puem. Fo Lagos, im de among di pipul wen stat ARTHUB; big program wia evritin abaut ‘‘ÁRT” de get big promoshon. Na Mista Eriata and oda pipul na im stat won websait wen dem de kol ‘www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng’’. Na on di 24 of Oktoba, 2015 fo Lagos, na im dem sho di websait to di hol wold.

Mista Eriata don bi Chiaman, “Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Abuja branch’’ from 2012-2014. Im taim as Chiaman no get raival til tode. Im du plenti-plenti tins wen put di “association” fo op-op wen big pas wetin enibodi do si.

Fo Fesbuk, Mista Eriata get beta stand wen mek am fit de tok to difren pipul fo ol ova di wold laik; http://www.facebook.com/oribhabor, OL FO NAIJA, Eriata Oribhabor (author), Poets in Nigeria (PIN), Naija Promoter and Rait fo Naija languej.

Wetin bi Naija languej, and wai yu kom de yus am de rait puem and tori?

Naija languej na languej wen de kom aut from awa pidgin. Di difrens bi se, awa pidgin no get standad bot Naija languej get standad. Di standad wen Naija languej get bi se, i get wetin oyibo de kol “Autography” wen de sho pipul hau to spel am. Na dis standad na im mek os de sepret am from pidgin odawaiz na di sem tin. Bot as yu and mi nou, wen somtin difren, di tim go get levul. Naija levul don pas pidgin levul. Naija go tek os op fo plenty-plenti tins.

Yu fo laik mek govament tok se Naija languej go bi ofishal languej sins se na wetin evribodi de yus yan?

Di rizin wai wi de du dis promoshon na to put standad wen go mek govanment si am se, beta wen de fo Naija okro sup na wota. If yu se mek a ansa yu dairekt, YES. A go hapi wel-wel if govanment wek op won de wit beta maid to du di korkt tin abaut awa Naija languej; mek am ofichal languej fo Naija laik Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba.

Naija languej na awa oun tin bot fo nau, no skul de tich am. No bi wahala bi dat?

No skul de tich Naija languej bikos govanment kari fes komot fo wia di languej de. Bot won de bi won de, tori go chenj bikos chenj fo dis eria most kom won de. Na big problem se govanment de du laik se dem de slip. Plenti pipul de wen go skul len wit inglish bot na we dem tok oo yan fo Naija na im de de setul ondastand wetin de len. Tich pesin fo inglish and tich pesin fo Naija, na pesin wen dem tich fo Naija go grab di mjesej wela.

Na yu bon OL FO NAIJA, NAIJA PROMOTER, RAIT FO NAIJA, na yu stat Eriata Oribhabor puem praiz, i get plenti-plenti tins we yu de du fo litrecho fo naija, yu shuoo se yu no de kolo so fo litrecho? And di tin bi se i bi laik se na yong naija pipul we yu kari fo maind pas. Wai yu de du ol dis tins?

If yu se a don kolo fo literesho, yu korekt. Bot na beta kolo. And bikos a de kari yon-yong pipul fo maid de du evritin wen a de du, na propa beta kolo wen God laik. Evride, wi de pre mek Naija beta, mek Naija beta, if awa yong pipul hed no korekt, beta no go eva kom awa kontri sam-sam.

Wich oda tins yu de du and wich wons yu de plan du?

A don tok ol wetin a de du wen a tok abaut maisef fo di statin of di tok-tok. Fo wetin a de plan to du, a go onli se bai God pawa, wi go du wetin oyibo de kol “Spoken Word” next ye fo ol of Naija. Na fo evribodi to si se, wetin wi de tok min somtin and hau dis somtin go rich Govanment na im wi go laik to si. Afta som taim, dem no go de tek os de ple futbol enihau fo Naija languej mata. Wi go tok plenti wit awa puem-dem and ivun send som to govanment and tel dem mek dem de du beta fo awa kontri.

I get taim we yu komot puem buk fo Naija languej. Abeg tok smol fo di buk hed.

A don tok abaut am fo di statin. Na Abuja na Kpangba an Oda Puem-Dem bi di very fest buk wen a rait. Wen dis buk komot fo 2011, wi du big sho fo Abuja to promot am and di oda buk wen a kol pipul to send puem na im bi If Yu Hia Se A de Prizin. Wi de du tins to tek evri tin go op-op.
Wetin and wetin de giv yu wahala so fo dis gud wok we yu de du so fo naija languej?
Pat of wetin de giv wahala bi se, som pipul maid de had to chenj. Dem tink se pidgin no sopoz get standad and pipul wen sopoz nou wetin de, espechali fo Ministry of Education, na demo un wos pas. Meni don foget se languej laik French stat as pidgin. Na wen “Autography”de to tich standad stail to spel eni languej, na dat taim di languej go get respect

I go gud mek dem get awod fo naija languej litrecho?
YES. Korekt. Wi go rich dat levul next ye.
Oga dem tok se ‘ilitiret na pipul we no sabi tok, no sabi rid, and we no sabi rait inglish, if to se govament kom alau mek naija languej kom bi ofishal languej fo kontri so, dat no min se wi go don yus stail poshu ilitiresi komot awa kontri, as plenti pipul sabi tok fo naija languej so, as i rimen tu rait and rid so?

If govanment mek Naija languej ofishal languej and tek am tich fo skul fo Naija, pipul go ondastand pas as dem de ondastand nau. Yu no de si plenti pipul finish Yunivasiti no fit rait komon leta?

Oga I de salut yu as yu don komot taim se mek yu kom yan wit os tude.
Na God win.