Former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili has openly rejected the reintroduced national anthem, declaring she will never sing it.
Following President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the National Anthem Bill 2024, which reinstates the old anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” Ezekwesili voiced her opposition on Twitter, now known as X. She affirmed her commitment to the current anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots.”
Ezekwesili criticized the Federal Government for focusing on changing the anthem instead of addressing more pressing national issues.
She called the move “absolutely incredulous,” questioning the government’s admiration for the old anthem, which includes terms like “Native Land” and “Tribes.”
She stated she would continue singing “Arise, O Compatriots” whenever the national anthem is required.
In her tweet, Ezekwesili said, “Absolutely incredulous! “Native Land.” “Tribes.” In a 21st Century Nigeria, the country’s political class found a colonial National Anthem that has pejorative words like “Native Land” and “Tribes” to be admirable enough to foist on our Citizens without their consent. It is inevitable that there will be an ideological War between the Political Class and the Citizens of Nigeria. It is only but a matter of “When?”
The reintroduction of the old anthem has sparked widespread criticism, with many Nigerians viewing it as a waste of time and a misplacement of priorities.
