It’s disrespectful to choose French as Ghana’s second language – Okyeame Kwame

According to him, the country cannot develop to the level it wants “with another person’s language”.

He said having English as an official language is already enough, insisting adding French is disrespectful to Ghana’s culture and pride.

“French as a second language is disrespectful to our pride and culture, it is bad enough that our first language is another person’s language. What is wrong with making one of our local languages our first language,” Okyeame Kwame said.

Okyeame Kwame Pulse Ghana

His criticism follows the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s confirmation that Ghana will adopt French as a second official language.

Sector Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, said making French a second language in Ghana would go a long way to improve regional integration, especially with the country having French-speaking neighbours.

However, Okyeame Kwame believes it is wrong to opt for French when there are numerous local languages in Ghana.

“We can encourage ourselves to learn more foreign languages like Chinese, Spanish and French. My problem is with making it a second language when we have local languages dying,” the rapper said on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM.

He added: “English is Our First Language. Hausa, Ewe, Akan and even Krio are all around us but we are too quick to choose English because we will fight over whose language to use.

“I know that it is not easy but we must try to make our languages relevant and export it with our culture. That is how we arrest the dollar. By selling not buying.

“We have quietly accepted English [and now] pushing French through should be subtle not in our faces however. [We] Must confidently push our local languages and its associated history and Culture. That is how we grow.”