National Anthem: Some Nigerians Are Not Patriotic

Popular Nigerian human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, has faulted Nigerians criticizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the reintroduction of the old national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we Hail Thee’.

Naija News reports that there has been outrage by some Nigerians over the passage of the old national anthem bill 2024 by the National Assembly following the consent of President Tinubu.

Some citizens have questioned the importance of the reversal, asserting that it was a misplaced priority on the part of the incumbent government.

Reacting, however, Ozekhome lamented the lack of patriotism among some Nigerians and hoped that the new national anthem would reinstate that in the citizens.

The legal practitioner believes the reintroduction of the old national anthem “will cement us together”.

“I am not a fantastic fan of the government but if there is one thing I think they have gone right; they have gotten right, and I applaud them for it, it is the reintroduction of this national anthem,” Ozekhome said while speaking as a guest on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

He added: “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 specifically and if you’re called, you should go and participate. If you don’t participate, you should not cry later.”

He stated that unlike amending the constitution, there is no need for town hall meetings at the grassroots level to have a new national anthem.

Ozekhome expressed his concern about the lack of patriotism among certain Nigerians and his hope that the new anthem would restore that sense of patriotism.

He mentioned that the reintroduction of the anthem was one of the suggestions put forth during the 2014 National Confab.