President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly have come under heavy criticism over the law returning the old National Anthem “Nigeria we hail thee”.
DAILY POST recalls that despite a rowdy section at the House of Representatives on May 23, the House passed a bill to adopt the old National Anthem.
Similarly, the Senate on Tuesday passed the same bill despite opposition from concerned citizens.
In the heat of the controversy surrounding the move, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi on Monday urged the National Assembly to halt the bill, saying the law regarding the National Anthem should not be enacted through legislative debate alone.
However, President Tinubu on Wednesday signed the bill into law as announced by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Tinubu signs old National Anthem bill, cancels planned address of NASS
Some Nigerians are expressing concerns over what could have necessitated the move to abandon the “Arise, O Compatriots,” which has been in use since it was adopted in 1978.
More worrisome was the speed at which the bill was passed by both the red and green chambers of the National Assembly.
Upon the report of Tinubu signing the bill into law on Wednesday, some Nigerians took to their social media handles to express grievances.
Most netizens who reacted to the development, described it as a misplaced priority, citing the current economic and security crisis bedevilling the nation.
Here are some of the reactions from X as compiled by DAILY POST.
@KennyNuga: Misplaced priority, we need laws mandating all vehicles to shift off the road when an Ambulance is approaching. We need laws that criminalize bullying in our institutions.
@RealQueenBee: This will now be an achievement for the Tinubu administration, reverting back to the colonial anthem.
@Imbamiodunlami: Now billions of Naira will be spent in the name of training Nigerians to learn and sing the anthem.
@iam_damayor: Congratulations Nigerians, we now have a new National Anthem. When you want to buy anything, just recite it and you get the 2015 price of that goods/service.
@amaobiee: The speed with which this bill was passed and signed shows that something is behind it.
@FridaySpotOn: Whoever casts a spell on our “leaders” to always prioritize the unimportant over the necessities should please lose them. Misplaced priority! How will the new Anthem address the myriad of problems bedevilling our country?
@AtaPeter: A mere waste of time and a distraction strategy. The question is will the change in the national anthem increase the IGR or make the current economic mess or the high level of insecurity disappear???.
