Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, May 29, 2024, announced to Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu on the occasion of his first year in office has appended his signature to the bill seeking to return the old national anthem into law.
The reintroduced anthem was first adopted at the country’s independence on October 1, 1960, but was changed in 1978 by the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.
Despite public outcry against the return to the post-independent anthem, the National Assembly hurriedly passed the bill and was subsequently assented to by President Tinubu at an unprecedented speed.
The news of a bill seeking to replace the current anthem with the recently rested one filtered in a couple of days earlier, with many Nigerians articulating their dissent regarding the reinstatement of the old anthem.
It was quite surprising to many the speed at which the parliament passed this bill. From the first hearing to the eventual passage of this bill’s not up to a week. Making it one of the fastest bills to be passed by any assembly since the return to democracy in 1999.
Amidst citizens’ struggles with soaring inflation and diminishing purchasing power, it’s astonishing to learn that the primary concern of national assembly members revolves around debating the superiority of the old anthem over the new one.
The National Bureau of Statistics data shows that for April 2024, headline inflation is at an all-time high of 33.69% with food inflation hitting the 40% mark for the first time.
It is worth noting that key policies enacted during the Tinubu government have played a significant role in the current economic challenges. Chief among them is the removal of the subsidy on petrol, announced by President Tinubu in his inaugural speech.
This single announcement thrust many Nigerians into enduring hardship, as they struggled to cope with the subsequent ripple effect of fuel price hike, soaring from N165 per liter to over N580 per liter.
Consequently, the production costs for numerous businesses skyrocketed by over 200%, leading to the closure of numerous small and micro enterprises and the subsequent loss of jobs for many employees. Similarly, transportation costs surged by over 150% in most cases to align with the new fuel price.
While Nigerians were still grappling with the repercussions of fuel subsidy removal, the president, through the Central Bank, implemented the floating of the naira policy, causing a rapid surge in the exchange rates of the naira to the dollar from approximately N460 to over N1400 at the official rate.
While citizens continue to grapple with the ramifications of these two critical policies that have profoundly impacted their lives, the President and the National Assembly have yet to sanction a new minimum wage for the country. The last review, which set the minimum wage at N30,000, was approved by President Buhari in 2019 and remains unchanged.
In 2019, headline inflation ranged between 11-12%, while the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar hovered around ₦300. Fast forward five years later, with inflation figures more than tripling and the exchange rate quadrupling, President Tinubu and the National Assembly have not prioritized the urgent need to expedite and approve a new minimum wage that reflects the current economic realities faced by citizens. Instead, their focus seems to be on reversing the post-independence national anthem.
Another argument against the newly approved “Nigeria We Hail Thee” national anthem, endorsed by President Tinubu, revolves around the language within the anthem itself. Many language experts have highlighted certain words used by the anthem’s composer, a Briton, which they deem denigrating. Specifically, the inclusion of terms like “Native” and “Tribe” has sparked criticism, with experts arguing that these words carry connotations of abuse and degradation, reflecting the composer’s supremacist mindset.
Experts argues that, “tribe” essentially denotes backwardness and primitiveness, particularly in the context of the composer’s worldview. They believe that the term “tribe” holds deeply ingrained colonialist attitudes, portraying communities within traditional societies as primitive and uncivilized.
The use of “tribe” in contemporary contexts is viewed as problematic, as it perpetuates outdated colonial perspectives and reinforces hierarchical power dynamics. Native English speakers, they say, would never self-identify as “tribes,” recognizing the term’s association with racialized notions of inferiority and backwardness.
Amidst the controversy surrounding the national anthem, a video surfaced online showing President Tinubu expressing his intention to revert to the old anthem if given the opportunity. It appears that the anthem reversal issue was a personal preference of the president.
However, if President Tinubu had reservations about the “Arise O’ Compatriot” anthem, the appropriate course of action would have been to initiate a national contest, similar to the one held in 1978, where citizens could submit proposals for a new national anthem.
This approach would have facilitated broader consultation and citizen participation in the anthem selection process. Instead of reverting to an old anthem penned by a foreigner with supremacist tendencies, such a contest would have signaled a commitment to national identity and self-determination. It would have demonstrated respect for citizen input and reflected a sense of self-dignity and pride as a nation.
Having outlined these concerns, we earnestly hope and expect that the president will reconsider the decision to revert to the old anthem and take appropriate action. Alternatively, the focus should be redirected towards addressing more pressing issues concerning citizens’ welfare and security, while retaining the “Arise O’ Compatriot” national anthem.
Regarding the National Assembly, it’s crucial to emphasize its independence as a separate arm of government, not subservient to the Executive. Legislators should approach proposals from the Executive with a critical eye, prioritizing the national interest above all else.
