Nigeria: Senate Ignores Ministers' Concerns, Passes Bill to Revert to Old National Anthem

Nigerian flag.

The upper chamber passed the bill after considering a report of its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.

The Senate on Tuesday passed the bill seeking to revert to Nigeria's old national anthem.

The bill seeks to replace the current anthem with the former one adopted at independence on October 1, 1960 but dropped in 1978 by the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced passage of the bill after majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.

The bill was considered and approved at the Committee of the Whole.

The upper chamber passed the bill after considering a report of its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, presented by Tahir Monguno, its chairman.

The passage was against the federal government's recommendations at a public hearing organised on the bill on Monday.

During the hearing, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, urged the lawmakers to subject the bill to wider consultations before passing it.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also recommended that the scope of the bill should be expanded to include a robust issue of national identity rather than limiting it to a change of national anthem

Report

Mr Monguno, while presenting the report, disagreed with the recommendations and positions of the two ministers.

He stressed that the bill does not require a wider consultation as recommended by the AGF.

The senator said reverting to the old anthem will promote brotherhood among Nigerians and help unite them irrespective of ethnic or religious links.

"The bill is in tandem with the spirit of unity. It will undoubtedly inspire a zeal for patriotism and cooperation. It will promote cultural heritage. Changing the national anthem will chart a path to greater unity", he said.

Mr Monguno thereafter recommended that the bill be passed.

Contributions

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, suggested that the "motherland" in the old national anthem be replaced with "fatherland" because of religious perspectives.

Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) argued that the "native land" in the old national anthem be replaced with either "motherland or fatherland."

Mr Oshiomhole also recommended that the "tribe" should be replaced with "ethnic."

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, read the dictionary definition of "native," noting that the native word was preferable.

The Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru, also supported the bill.

Responding, the Senate president overruled the suggestions and told the lawmakers that they ought to have presented them during the public hearing.

Mr Akpabio also clarified that "motherland" in the old national anthem is preferable to "fatherland" because "many connect with motherland".

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