Human rights activist and lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, has applauded President Bola Tinubu’s government for the reintroduction of the old national anthem, Nigeria, we Hail Thee.
The constitutional lawyer said this in an interview on a Channels Television programme: “Sunrise Daily,” on Thursday.
Ozekhome said President Tinubu made the right call by reverting to the old national anthem.
“I am not a fantastic fan of the government but if there is one thing I think they have gone right; they have gotten right, and I applaud them for it, it is the reintroduction of this national anthem,” he said.
It will be recalled that the return to the old national anthem came after the National Assembly passed the National Anthem Bill 2024 which was later signed by President Tinubu.
While the development triggered several reactions and backlash from Nigerians who questioned the importance of the reversal, Ozekhome noted that the reintroduction of the old national anthem “will cement us together”.
“I know that it was advertised that there would be a public hearing over the national anthem.
“That was how I heard. Nobody came to invite me specially and if you’re called, you should go and participate. If you don’t participate, you should not cry later,” he added.
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Ozekhome posited that, unlike a change of constitution, having a new national anthem does not require town hall meetings at the lowest levels.
He however lamented the lack of patriotism among some Nigerians and hopes the new anthem will reinstate that in Nigerians.
The Human rights activist asserted that the reintroduction of the anthem was part of the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab.
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