By: Nwakaji Peace Martins
Plans by the National Assembly to hastily pass a bill for an Act on the National Anthem to replace the current one with the old version faced a setback in the Senate yesterday. There were several warnings that such a significant matter should not be decided solely by a legislative decree.
During the Public hearing on the bill organized by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, former minority leader of the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, emphasized that the National Anthem issue should not be handled through a legislative fiat.
The Minister of Justice highlighted the importance of seeking input from Nigerians before making any changes to the National Anthem. He stressed that the anthem should reflect the collective aspirations and contemporary socio-political conditions of the people.
Abaribe expressed his opposition to the proposed change, stating that the second stanza of the National Anthem serves as the country’s national prayer. He argued that there are more pressing matters that the government should address instead of revising the anthem.
In his remarks at the public hearing, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, suggested expanding the discussion to focus on national identity rather than solely changing the anthem.
Ozekhome called for extensive consultations to ensure that Nigerians embrace any proposed changes to the National Anthem. He supported replacing the current anthem with the original one used when Nigeria gained independence in 1960, emphasizing that the current anthem lacks the necessary depth and inspiration to unite the nation.
He pointed out that numerous other countries, including Russia, Austria, Chile, France, Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil, Iran, and Iraq, have reverted to their old national anthems at various points in history.
