The House of Representatives has passed bills to reinstate the old national anthem “Nigeria we hail Thee”.
The bill passed through the first, second, and third readings in minutes.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate for concurrence before being sent to the president for assent.
House Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, who is the lead debate for a return to the old anthem pointed to the need for Nigerians to see the anthem as a 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 explained that the old anthem was authored and composed by Britons. Chinda questioned the importance of the anthem change at a time of more critical national issues.
However, the bill was given speedy passage and subsequently passed by the lawmakers.
At the Senate, the bill scaled through the first and second reading. It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to report back to the House in two weeks.