Nigeria’s 1978 National Anthem has been replaced again with the old one adopted when the Nation became independence in 1960.
The law replacing the new anthem with the old one was signed by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday and the anthem launched at the joint sitting the two-house national assembly.
The President and big shots of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) and senators and House of Representative members rendered the national anthem before President Tinubu’s eight minutes speech to commemorate his one year in office.
The president was sworn in on May 29 and to mark the day, the national assembly convened a special session and also discarded the 1978
National anthem.
In his speech, President Tinubu said he would soon send a supplementary budget to the National Assembly.
The joint sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday was to commemorate 25th anniversary of unbroken democracy in our country and his first year in office.
The President spoke extempore for eight minutes, after the Senate President Godswill Akpabio had said President Tinubu will speak more elaborately on June 12, the real Democracy Day.
President Tinubu praised the assembly for its collaboration with his government, citing the Budget 2024, which was passed expeditiously. He said there is no other choice than this collaboration between the executive and legislature. He said that no one else—not even foreigners—will support the development of our nation.
” Let us work together to build our nation, not only for us but for generations yet unborn”.
He said he started his politics in this same hallowed chamber as a senator in 1992. Without this path, he said, he may not have become president of Nigeria.
However, the highlight of his speech and his time in the National Assembly was the news that Nigeria has reverted to the first post-independence National Anthem, ‘Nigeria we hail thee, our dear native land. Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.” The anthem was played when the President entered the Assembly and was also rendered to cap proceedings.
Among the dignitaries at the Assembly were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Governor Babagana Zulum, APC chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, former House Speakers, Femi Gbajabiamila and Patricia Etteh, Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu, Special duties minister, Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo.