Nigerians were busy navigating through the lingering hardship occasioned by the recent policies of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration when boom, news of the president assenting to the National Anthem Bill 2024 reverting to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee” surfaced.
In the words of the senate president, Godswill Akpabio: “This morning, Mr President signed into an Act of Parliament, the newly passed National Anthem 2024”.
It was during a joint session of the National Assembly marking the Silver Jubilee of Nigeria’s 4th Republic, that Akpabio made this revelation.
The occasion coincided with the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Tinubu, who later joined the joint session, confirmed ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ as the “latest national anthem”.
The National Anthem
Trust Nigerians, it was only a matter of seconds before this news became the topic of discussion in every corner of the country.
No one had expected that with the level of hardship Nigerians say they are going through, all that could matter to the government was the anthem.
But here we are.
You see, this old anthem has been abandoned for donkey years, and now, Nigerians cannot help but wonder what must have necessitated this move.
We cannot begin to explain the kind of controversy that trailed this news.
Arise, O Compatriots
In fact, a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has vowed never to sing the newly adopted national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
Ezekwesili said she would continue singing the previous anthem, ‘Arise, O compatriots’.
Her remark was in response to President Bola Tinubu’s confirmation of ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ as the latest anthem.
Also Read: National Anthem: Meet British Woman Who Composed The “Nigeria We Hail Thee” Anthem
Well, beneath this huge controversy are some underlining issues Nigerians seem to be missing.
We are all aware of the usual trend, Nigerians will only cry out for some days and before you know it, they are back to facing the reality.
Many have said that it is this attitude that has left Nigeria where it is now.
What Next?
But when we finally settle into this reality, what next?
Children, adults, etc. will now have to start learning the new old national anthem.
Nigerians, faced with a hardship like never before, now have a new task of learning this anthem.
We cannot help but imagine how that will go.
A school teacher in the Akoka area of Lagos, who simply gave his name as Mr. David suggest that this move may be an intentional distraction by the government.
To him, the aim is to shift the attention of Nigerians from the real issues facing them.
