The former Minister of Education, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, has said that she would not revert to the old national anthem, newly signed by President Bola Tinubu as the country’s new anthem.

Ezekwesili made this disclosure in a post on her X handle on Wednesday.

According to her, no one can suppress her right to dissent from what she described as an “obnoxious law” repugnant to all who are of good conscience in Nigeria.

The ex-minister said, “Let it be known to all and sundry that I, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, will, whenever asked to sing the Nigerian National Anthem, sing:

“1. Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey

“To serve our fatherland

“With love and strength and faith

“The labour of our heroes past

“Shall never be in vain

“To serve with heart and might

“One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.”

She added, “2. Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause

“Guide our leader’s right

“Help our youth the truth to know

“In love and honesty to grow

“And living just and true

“Great lofty heights attain

“To build a nation where peace and justice reign.

We had earlier reported that the Senate and the House of Representatives rapidly passed the National Anthem Bill 2024, seeking to reinstate the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

Leading the debate in the lower chamber on the general principles of the bill, the sponsor of the proposed law, Julius Ihonvbere, anchored his argument on the need for patriotism and nationalism.

The 10th Senate passed the bill after reviewing a report by Tahir Monguno, the lawmaker representing Borno North Senatorial District and chair of the Judiciary Committee.

But many Nigerians on social media questioned the relevance of the move, wondering if it would help salvage the nation’s economy, being Nigeria’s biggest challenge at the moment.

Similarly, Ahmad Satomi, a lawmaker representing Jere Federal Constituency, Borno State, challenged the Green Chamber last week regarding the bill.

Satomi questioned the bill’s relevance to Nigeria’s pressing issues, sparking widespread discussion and debate.

President Bola Tinubu has signed the bill on the reintroduction of the old national anthem.

Godswill Akpabio, senate president, announced this at the joint sitting of the senate and house of representatives on Wednesday.

Akpabio said the president signed the bill into law on Wednesday morning.

The senate president also said Tinubu will launch the rendition of the old national anthem during a joint sitting of the national assembly today.

The old national anthem is themed ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’. The one used since 1978 is titled: ‘Arise, O Compatriots’.

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, however disclosed that Tinubu will not deliver a “state of the nation” address as earlier announced because today is not designated as official Democracy Day.

Abbas apologised for the earlier miscommunication on the subject.

On May 23, the house of representatives speedily passed the bill.

On Tuesday, the senate also passed the bill during a public hearing.

While presenting his report on the bill, Tahir Monguno, chairman of the judiciary committee, said his panel disagreed with the position of Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), that the process to change the anthem should be subjected to a wider process.

At a public hearing organised for the bill, Fagbemi had said the decision to change the country’s national anthem should not be done hastily but should be subjected to an extensive process.

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has allegedly detained Dayo Aiyetan, the executive director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and Nurudeen Akewushola, a reporter.

On Tuesday, Aiyetan, Akewusola, and ICIR lawyers honoured the invitation of the NPF-NCCC in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

In the invitation letter, the police cybercrime centre said it is investigating a “case of cyberstalking and defamation of character” against the reporter and the “managing director” of the ICIR.

Hours after the ICIR publisher, reporter, and lawyers visited the NPF-NCCC office in Abuja, they are yet to be released.

In a statement, the ICIR said Aiyetan, Akewushola, and the lawyers have been unreachable since they went to the NPF-NCCC office.

Bamas Victoria, the ICIR editor, said the organisation is worried that this is a ploy by the police to detain the journalists.

THE CASE

The media organisation said the invitation is connected to a report that was published on its website and exposed abuse of office by two former inspector-generals of police (IGPs) and other senior officers.

In February 2024, ICIR published a report on how some officers of the Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank, two former IGPs, and a contractor were enmeshed in allegations of corruption involving forgery and bribery in an alleged illegal sale of police land designated for the construction of barracks in Abuja.

In the report, the names of Ibrahim Idris and Solomon Arase, former IGPs, were mentioned for allegedly collecting a N400 million bribe for the award of contracts.

Ikechukwu Ani, spokesperson of the Police Service Commission (PSC), said in a recent statement that Arase, the commission’s chairman, had taken the ICIR to court over the report.

Ani said the report was conceived to “bring down and ridicule” Arase.

As of the time of this report, the ICIR said it had yet to receive official notification of the court processes.