Senate passes bill seeking return to old national anthem
The Senate on Tuesday, May 28, approved the National Anthem Bill 2024, aiming to reintroduce the former anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
The bill had undergone initial readings and was referred to the committee on judiciary, human rights, and legal matters for further review.
After considering the committee’s report, chaired by Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC – Borno North), the Senate passed the bill for its third reading.
Similarly, the House of Representatives had previously passed the bill for its third reading.
Senator Monguno emphasized the significance of the bill during his presentation, urging the Senate to approve it.
He said: “The parliament considers this bill important and the National Anthem is a representation of the country’s history, culture, and people.
“The proposed bill is apt, timely, and important.”
Thereafter, the Senate resolved into the committee of the whole to consider the clauses of the bill and subsequently passed them.
The former anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee,’ was adopted as the country’s first national anthem on October 1, 1960, but was dropped in 1978 by the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.
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