Reintroduced national anthem could have prevented banditry – Akpabio

Nigerian senate president, Godswill Akpabio has said the introduction of the now proscribed national anthem ‘’Arise O Compatriots’’ in 1978 led to the emergence of bandity in Nigeria.

Akpabio during a visit to the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic studies in Abuja, made this known, after which encouraged Nigerians to embrace the old national anthem, saying that, doing so could contribute to ending banditry in the country.

According to the Senate President on Tuesday, Nigeria would not have experienced rising insecurity if the old national anthem wasn’t changed in 1978.

He said, “The other one of social impact is reverting to our old national anthem. A lot of people are not aware that there was a panel set up, made up of Nigerians to receive input from all over the world in 1959.

“When the people say we are bringing in the colonial anthem, we look into the history of ‘’the Nigeria we hail thee.’’ If we had kept to that national anthem, we probably would not have bandity in Nigeria. If you take your neighbour as your brother, you wouldn’t want to kill your brother or go into the farm and behead your brother.’’

In May, President Bola Tinubu signed the bill to reintroduce the old national anthem originally adopted at Nigeria’s independence in 1960. This anthem was replaced during the Olusegun Obasanjo military administration with the now proscribed “ Arise, O Compatriots.”