Why Nigeria should return to old National Anthem – Mike Ozekhome

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome has supported the call to replace the current” Arise O Compatriots ” National Anthem with the ” Nigeria , We Hail Thee” , the country started with , in October 1960.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chief Ozekhome to have said Nigeria should return to the old National Anthem at a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in Abuja on Monday.

The public hearing by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters was on a bill seeking to revert the nation to the use of the old National Anthem, titled “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”.

Ozekhome said such a move was long overdue since the National Anthem adopted in 1978 does not have the required gravitas and not inspirational to fire the passion and zeal for nationhood among Nigerians.

Ozekhome expressed delight that the motion to return to the old National Anthem which he moved at the 2014 National Conference, was becoming a reality after a decade.

Speaking at the public hearing, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Malam Mohammed Idris recommended that the scope of the bill should be expanded to include a robust issue on national identity rather than limiting it to change of national anthem.

Idris, represented by the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, said that some lines in the old national anthem had no complete meaning.

“The issue of national anthem is just a sub-sect. What we should be looking at is the National Identity Act,” Idris said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Muhammad Monguno said the National Assembly (NASS) had gone on with its plans to pass the bill.

“The Bill has passed first and second reading at the Senate and the Public Hearing was advertised. Those who are not here have probably agreed with intendment of the proposed legislation,” he said.