By Onyeche Igwe
Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas has withdrawn the controversial Counter Subversion and Other Related Bills which seeks to criminalise refusal to sing Nigeria’s reintroduced national anthem.
The speaker caved in to heated opposition and outrage that trailed the introduction of the controversial bill which prescribed 10-year jail term for those who refused to sing the newly reintroducted anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee‘.
Abbas, alongside Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other federal lawmakers, passed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law in May at the separate chambers.
On May 29, 2024, on the one-year anniversary of the current government, President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 reverting to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee” from “Arise, O Compatriots”.
Many Nigerians criticised the move, saying it was a misplacement of priority and not an antidote to the socio-economic and security challenges bedevilling the country. They even totally rejected ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ and vowed to retain the anthem, ‘Arise, O Compatriots’.
However, President said the latest national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ “is our diversity, representing all characters and how we blend to be brothers and sisters”.
In July, as a way to enforce the recitation of the reintroduced anthem, Abbas introduced the Counter Subversion and Other Related Bills in the green chamber but the bill which reportedly scaled second reading faced pushbacks from some respected voices like former Minister Oby Ezekwesili, activist Aisha Yesufu, amongst others.
Following the public uproar, in a statement by his spokesman Musa Krishi, on Wednesday, withdrew the controversial draft legislation criminalising hail term and fine for those who refuse to sing the reintroduced anthem after “careful consideration of the nation’s current circumstances.
Krishi said Abbas’ decision “reflects his commitment to ensuring that the House remains truly the People’s House”.
“He (Abbas) acknowledges the significance of the concerns raised and the attention the Bill has garnered, reaffirming that he will never support any action that might disrupt the peace and unity of our nation.
“The public is hereby notified of the withdrawal of the Counter Subversion Bill and other related ones introduced on July 23, 2024.”
