The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed into law, the bill to make compulsory, the teaching of Yoruba language in schools across the state.
This was after the Yoruba Language Preservation and Promotion Bill 2017 passed third reading in the Assembly sitting yesterday, Thursday, October 19, 2017.
The bill mandates the teaching of Yoruba language by incorporating it as a core subject at all levels of education, in both in private and public schools across Lagos.
Not leaving out state-owned tertiary institutions, the bill compels State higher institutions to include the use of Yoruba language as a course unit in their General Nigeria Studies (GNS).
In addition, the bill stipulates, ‘a fine of N500,000 for a corporate offender while any school in the state which fails to comply with the law faces closure and a fine of N250,000.’
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, ordered the Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni, during the passage of the bill, that a clean draft copy of the bill be sent to the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for his assent.
After completion of the plenary session, Majority Leader, Hon. SOB Agunbiade moved the motion for the House to adjourn plenary to Monday, October 23, 2017.
Meanwhile, the Assembly during the sitting also confirmed Justice Olufunmilayo Opeyemi Oke as the Chief Judge of Lagos State. As a result, Justice Oke becomes the 16th substantive Chief Judge of the state.