A human rights lawyer Mike Ozekhome has praised President Bola Tinubu’s government for the reintroduction of the old national anthem, Nigeria, we Hail Thee.
“I am not a fantastic fan of the government but if there is one thing I think they have done right; they have gotten right, and I applaud them for it, it is the reintroduction of this national anthem,” he said as a guest on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The reintroduction of the old national anthem after the National Assembly followed the passage of the National Anthem Bill 2024 which was later signed by Tinubu.
While the development triggered a backlash from Nigerians who questioned the importance of the reversal, Ozekhome believes the reintroduction of the old national anthem “will cement us together”.
Many have questioned why Nigerians were not carried along in the reintroduction of the old national anthem, but Ozekhome said, “I know that it was advertised that there would be a public hearing over the national anthem,” the human rights lawyer said.
“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.
‘It’s my priority’
His 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.”
