Senate Frowns To NOA’s Version Of National Anthem, Orders Withdrawal From Circulation

The Senate, on Tuesday, called on the National Orientation Agency ( NOA) to stop teaching Nigerians the wrong version of the newly adopted Old National Anthem.

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, while commenting on the issue, noted that what the agency was circulating was different from the New National Anthem approved by the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly.

The Senate after deliberations had gone on executive sessions for over two hours, after which the Senate adjourned plenary to July 2.

Akpabio had before the close of plenary, requested that the Senate recite the first stanza of the new National Anthem.

While the lawmakers recited the anthem, the Senate President looked at his book intermittently, to see whether what they were singing was in agreement with what was passed in the Act.

After they were done, Akpabio stated that the lawmakers should take note of the wordings of the anthem approved by the Senate and discard the one being presented by the NOA.

He said, “Take note of what we have here, what we have is different from what the NOA has. Where we have Nigerians ‘all’ are proud to say, they have Nigerians all and proud to say.

“Also, where we have ‘though’ tribe and tongue may differ, they have ‘though’ tribes and tongues. Also at the end where we have ‘Nigeria shall be blessed, they have Nigeria ‘may’ be blessed.”

“We are using shall which is a compulsion that this country shall be blessed, so tell the National Orientation Agency to drop what they are circulating now,” he emphasized.

The Senate had two weeks ago, passed the National Anthem Bill 2024 to revert to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee.”

The Senate passed legislation to swap the national anthem from “Arise, O Compatriots” to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

The bill, which speedily passed first and second readings on the same day was assented to, by President Bola Tinubu penultimate Tuesday.