New national anthem would have tackled banditry in Nigeria — Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has remarked that the reinstated national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” could have mitigated the issues of banditry and insecurity if it had been retained.

This follows the passage of the National Anthem Bill 2024 by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, which mandates a return to the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” replacing “Arise, O Compatriots.”

The bill, rapidly passing its first and second readings on the same day, was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, making it the official anthem of the country.

During a visit to the Nigeria Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies in Abuja on Tuesday, Akpabio asserted that the reintroduced anthem would promote unity, patriotism, and love among Nigerians.

Addressing criticisms labelling the anthem as a relic of colonialism, Akpabio emphasised the anthem’s historical roots and the process of its original adoption.

He explained, “A panel made up of Nigerians was set up in 1959, which received inputs from all over the world regarding the anthem and approved the reintroduced anthem then.”

Akpabio further commented, “If we had kept to that anthem, we probably would not have banditry today in Nigeria because if you take your neighbour as your brother, you will not want to kill him.”

In addition to discussing the anthem, Akpabio announced that more than 30,000 Nigerian students have been selected to benefit from the new student loan scheme.

He highlighted the importance of the Student Loan Bill, which allows children of poor and underprivileged families to pursue higher education without the financial burden.

“One of the most important bills for the tenth Assembly was the bill sent to us by President Bola Tinubu. The Student Loan Bill enables vulnerable Nigerian students, the less privileged, to obtain higher education,” he stated.

Akpabio expressed particular satisfaction with the bill, noting, “That is one of the bills I will say appeal to me the most.”

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