Human rights lawyer Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for the reintroduction of the old national anthem.
Ozekhome spoke in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.
He said, “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.”
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 a backlash from Nigerians who questioned the importance of the reversal, Ozekhome noted that the reintroduction of the old national anthem “will cement us together”.
Ozekhome said, “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 said, unlike a change of constitution, having a new national anthem does not require town hall meetings at the lowest levels.
Ozekhome lamented the lack of patriotism among some Nigerians and hopes the new anthem will reinstate that in Nigerians.
According to him, the reintroduction of the anthem was part of the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab.
Ozekhome’s comment came days after Tinubu defended the reintroduction of the anthem which the President described as his “priority”.
“Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’,” President Tinubu said during a meeting with the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Thursday.
“Some people say, okay… say what? Is that your priority? It’s my priority. I agree with the National Assembly. If they make law, I’ve got to obey that law, or we disagree openly and close the chapter.”
