‘Keeping To Old Anthem Would Have Prevented Banditry’– Akpabio
Nigeria’s Senate President Godwin Akpabio has revealed that the reintroduced old National Anthem would have disallowed both banditry and insecurity in Nigeria if it was retained.
The Senate President stated this
during a visit to the Nigeria Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies in Abuja.
Recall The Pendulum Media reports that the National Assembly had passed the National Anthem Bill 2024 to revert to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”, which was abolished in 1978.
After the reintroduction, the anthem had met with mixed reactions as many believed that the former Anthem, “Arise O Compatriots!” has better inspiring content than “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” adding that the timing was wrong going by the current economic, security challenges facing Nigeria and it was colonial inspired.
Akpabio while speaking on the anthem scolded those labelling the re-introduced anthem as an element of colonialism.
He said: “The other impactful bill signed by the National Assembly is the reverting to our old national anthem.
“A lot of people are not aware that there was a panel set up and made up of Nigerians to receive input from all over the world in 1959.
“So when people are saying we’re bringing in colonial anthem, they need to look into the history of “Nigeria, we hail thee”.
“If we had kept to that anthem, we probably would not have banditry today in Nigeria because if you take your neighbour as your brother, you will not want to kill him.”
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