The Nigerian Senate met in closed session on Thursday to talk about changing the country’s anthem.
The plan under consideration seeks to restore “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” the nation’s original national anthem, which was established on October 1, 1960, and substituted in 1978 under Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government.
The lawmakers were told by Senate President Godswill Akpabio to meet again in a plenary session that same day in order to approve the bill’s first and second readings.
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According to a source in the Senate, Akpabio also declared that a public hearing on the subject would take place in the Senate building, inviting any interested Nigerians to share their opinions.
“The Senate President just ruled that we should go back to the plenary to pass the bill – 1st and 2nd reading today, thereafter, any Nigerian who is interested can come to the Senate building for a public hearing,” the source said.
SaharaReporters was informed by a source who was present at the executive session that the Senate leadership’s intention is to pass both the first and second readings of the bill today, along with the reintroduction of the old song.
According to the article, the Senate leadership pushed for an instant return to the previous national anthem, despite the senators Danjuma Goje and Adams Oshiomhole’s requests for a public hearing prior to any changes being made. As a result, the leadership wanted the first and second readings of the bill to pass on the same day.
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The matter, which was on the Senate Order paper for Thursday, generated a lot of discussion in the executive session. Former Senate Majority Leader Senator Yahaya Abubakar of Kebbi proposed conducting nationwide discussions, stating that changing the national anthem in the face of economic hardship might be seen as a diversion from pressing issues.
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