Human rights lawyer Mike Ozekhome has applauded President Bola Tinubu’s government for the reintroduction of the old national anthem, Nigeria, we Hail Thee.
Ozekhome spoke in an interview with Channels Television’s
Sunrise Daily on Thursday.
He said, “I am not a fantastic fan of the government but if
there is one thing I think they have gone right; they have gotten right, and I
applaud them for it, it is the reintroduction of this national anthem.”
The return to the old national anthem came after the National Assembly passed the National Anthem Bill 2024 which was later signed by President Tinubu.
While the development triggered a backlash from Nigerians
who questioned the importance of the reversal, Ozekhome noted that the
reintroduction of the old national anthem “will cement us together”.
Ozekhome said, “I know that it was advertised that there
would be a public hearing over the national anthem.
“That was how I heard. Nobody came to invite me specially
and if you’re called, you should go and participate. If you don’t participate,
you should not cry later.”
He said, unlike a change of constitution, having a new
national anthem does not require town hall meetings at the lowest levels.
Ozekhome lamented the lack of patriotism among some
Nigerians and hopes the new anthem will reinstate that in Nigerians.
According to him, the reintroduction of the anthem was part
of the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab.
Ozekhome’s comment came days after Tinubu defended the
reintroduction of the anthem which the President described as his “priority”.
“Let me allude to
something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we
hail thee’,” President Tinubu said during a meeting with the leadership of the
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last
Thursday.
“Some people say, okay… say what? Is that your priority?
It’s my priority. I agree with the National Assembly. If they make law, I’ve
got to obey that law, or we disagree openly and close the chapter.”
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Tinubu govt will soon name you after a public waste bin. That way you have benefitted. You guys are just failures of the national struggle. I pity those who believe the nonsense that comes from your brains.
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