President Bola Tinubu has defended the government’s decision to re-introduce the old national anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’, stating that it was a priority for him.
During a meeting with the Arewa Consultative Forum at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu pushed back against criticism, asserting that the reintroduction of the old national anthem is a valid priority, contrary to claims that it is a misplaced one.
The President caused controversy by signing a bill that reinstated the former national anthem.
“Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
“Some people say 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.
“But the question of diversity. Who gave us the name Nigeria? Is it not Britain? Or somewhere? Have we changed our name? We are Nigerians. Our passport shows that.
“As long as we are Nigerians and one family, we remain and protect our diversity and love one another as brothers and sisters,” the president said.
The move had sparked widespread outrage among Nigerians, who criticised it as a misplaced priority given the country’s dire economic situation, exacerbated by Tinubu’s policies of fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira, which has led to hardship.
