The senate yesterday, passed a bill to change the current National Anthem, ‘Arise O Compatriots,’ to the old anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee.’
Entitled ‘National Anthem Bill, 2024’, the bill passed third reading after the upper chamber considered the report of its joint committees on judiciary, human rights and legal matters, and federal character, and that and inter government affairs.
The bill was read for the first and second time last Thursday, at both chambers.
It received an accelerated hearing at the lower house as it was read for the first, second and third time.
The bill however passed second reading and the senate president, Mr Godswill Akpabio, referred it to its committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters for further legislative actions.
The bill would be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
If the president assents to it, it would be the first time Nigeria’s national anthem would be given a legal backing.
The chairman of the committee, Mr Tahir Mongunu, while presenting the report of the committee during plenary said the bill seeks to give a legal framework to the national anthem, “so that it can bite and bite with all the legal powers embedded in it.”
