The House of Representatives has passed a bill to adopt the old national anthem, “Nigeria We Hail Thee”, despite opposition from some lawmakers. The bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere, was rushed through a third reading amid a heated debate.
Ihonvbere argued that the old anthem’s content is superior to the current one, stating, “The old national anthem represents a richer history and a more inclusive Nigeria.”
However, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda strongly opposed the bill, citing the anthem’s colonial roots. “For every law, there must be a spirit to it. If we are asked what is the essence of this law, I would talk about history. The old anthem was composed by foreigners, and adopting it would mean going back to our colonial past,” Chinda said. “We dropped it because we wanted an anthem that would remove us from colonialism.”
Despite the opposition, Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu put the bill to vote, and although the “nay” voices appeared louder, he ruled in favor of the “ayes”. This generated complaints from lawmakers, but Kalu insisted on the ruling and rushed the motion through.
The passage of the bill has since sparked controversy, with some lawmakers expressing concerns about the priorities of the House and the implications of reviving a colonial-era anthem.
