House of Reps passes bill to revert to old National Anthem

By James Moses (9News Nigeria)

The House of Representatives, on Thursday passed third reading, a bill reverting to ‘Nigeria We Hail Thee’, the old National anthem.

The bill sponsored by Majority Leader of the House Professor Julius Ihonbvere, underwent accelerated consideration on the floor of the House before passage.

The bill was quickly passed through first and second reading within a minutes despite opposition by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and some other lawmakers.

The lead debate for the return to old anthem by the House Leader Professor Julius Ihonbvere, pointed to the need for Nigerians to see the anthem as National symbol and sign of authority, one which does not deny the realities.

The old anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was replaced with the current one “Arise, O Compatriots” in 1978.

The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, however, opposed the bill, saying the old anthem has a colonial tag which was the reason for the new anthem.

He highlighted that the old anthem was authored and composed by Britons.

Hon. Chinda questioned the important of the National anthem change at that time.

However, the bill was given expedited passage and subsequently passed by the lawmakers.

At the Senate the bill scaled through first and second reading.

-9News Nigeria.

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