President Bola Tinubu has signed a bill reintroducing the old national anthem into law.
Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, declared this during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Akpabio stated that the president signed the bill into law on Wednesday morning.
The Senate President also stated that Tinubu will begin the recital of the old national anthem during today’s joint sitting of the National Assembly.
Tajudeen Abbas, the speaker of the House of Representatives, has revealed that Tinubu would not deliver the previously anticipated “State of the Nation” address because today is not designated as official Democracy Day.
Abbas apologised for the earlier miscommunication on the subject.
The anthem goes thus:
Nigeria we hail thee
Our dear native land
Though tribes and tongues may differ
In brotherhood, we stand
Nigerians all, are proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign
In peace or battle, honoured,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.O God of creation
Grant this our one request.
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.
“Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was Nigeria’s anthem from 1960 to 1978. It was written by Lily J. Williams, and the music was composed by Frances Berda.
The anthem faced criticism from its onset. Eventually, it was changed to “Arise, O Compatriots.”