President Bola Tinubu has declared that reverting to the old national anthem is his priority following outrage among Nigerians, who have continued to decry the rising cost of living and insecurity under his watch.
“Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’,” Mr Tinubu said while hosting members of the Arewa Consultative Forum earlier on Thursday.
“Some people say, okay… say ‘what? Is that your priority?’ It’s my priority,” said the president. “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.”
On Wednesday, Mr Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law to commemorate his one year in office and to mark 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in the country.
Nigerians, including former political officeholders, have faulted the timing and lamented hardship and insecurity under his watch.
In a post on X, former minister of education Oby Ezekwesili dismissed the reversion to the old national anthem as a misplaced priority – “majoring in minor.”
She added, “With all the horrible indicators on the state of governance? So, it is a new national anthem that is their priority? I frankly thought it was a joke and gave it no attention. What an egregious case of ‘Majoring in the Minor’ this is!”
Similarly, in a post on X, former senator Shehu Sani condemned the idea, saying, “Nigeria is facing serious economic and security challenges, but it’s prioritising changing its national anthem.”
Since Mr Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, announcing immediate fuel subsidy removal and floating the naira, transportation and food costs have maintained astronomic upward trends while the naira has continued its decline against the dollar.
Experts have lauded Mr Tinubu’s policies as bold moves. But Nigerians have continued to criticise Mr Tinubu’s government, lamenting economic hardship and insecurity.
Several market surveys by Peoples Gazette have shown that food prices have spiked by over 100 per cent while the national minimum wage has remained the same.
Under Mr Tinubu’s watch, insecurity has also remained unresolved as Boko Haram and bandits continue killing sprees and abductions for ransom.
Bandits raid on Plateau communities in December 2023 left over 150 killed and hundreds displaced.
In March 2024, Boko Haram insurgents raided an IDPs camp in Gambarou Ngala, Borno State, abducting over 100 persons, while another group of armed bandits raided LEA School in Kuriga town, Chikun Local government of Kaduna, kidnapping over 250 schoolchildren and teachers. The Tinubu government, however, secured the release of these abducted citizens.
Citing BBC Hausa, Peoples Gazette on Monday reported how Boko Haram “killed eight people and abducted a hundred and sixty people” in Kuchi village, Niger State.
Two weeks ago, bandits dressed in military abducted about 20 people in the Dawaki community in the Federal Capital Territory. Similarly, last week Monday, bandits raided and killed at least 40 persons in Zurak, a village in the Wase Local Government area of Plateau State.
On Friday, human rights organisation Amnesty International condemned the killing of 75 people at Tunbun Rogo, Borno State, berating the Nigerian government for failing in its core responsibility of securing lives and property.
Mr Bola Tinubu’s government has yet to make any statements on the recent attacks.