The National Anthems of the USA, Canada, UK, China, Russia, France, and other nations of responsive leadership first to their citizens, second, to their governance policies, third, to her diversities, and fourth to their social justice systems, is what “Mai Be Owi Owi Aleas” (We are the indigenes of Alesa), a community song is to the Indigenous people of Alease.Alesa is one of the communities in Eleme, Local Government Area, Rivers State. It is a well-organized community that prides itself on so many things including some notable public figures in the country and the finest brains in the world such as Senator Olaka Nwogu, former Senator, Rivers South-East, Chief Paul Obele, former Director of Warri Refinery (Operations), Late Prof. Israel Awate, former Commissioner of Education and as well as housing a couple of multinational companies, especially, the Porth Harcourt Refinery, Eleme, Rivers State. Due to their strong sense of leadership and community to her indigenes, she unanimously adopted “Mai Be Owi Alesa” as a community song to be sung by the indigenes of Alesa, as well as rendering it in all community programs. The song (Alesa Anthem), reflects the ideals of the founding fathers of Alesa and their future aspirations. However, whenever Alesa people sing this song, particularly during sports festivals, and other celebrations, you will not only see great nostalgic feelings on their faces, but also the rejuvenation, revitalization, and recalibration to which the meaning and the understanding of the song infuses into their spines for a spontaneous onward awakening to defend Alesa and her worldviews, is legendary. When was the last time you felt nostalgic after singing the old Nigerian anthem? True to your spirit, does the new Anthem resonate with you in the sense of nationhood that is responsible for the needs of its citizens?After 46 years, the Federal Republic of Nigeria reintroduced an old National Anthem. The Bill seeking the reintroduction of the anthem was presented by a report of the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, ( APC, Borno North), who differs from the position of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Lateef Fagbemi (AGF). The AGF maintained that a process by which the National Anthem of a Federation like Nigeria should involve a wider consultation, yet, the National Assembly threw away caution into the windy and passed the Bill with an unusual Usain Bolt speed un-characteristics of the “Snail NASS” since Independence with tortoise approaches on Bills of socioeconomic importance. Nation Anthems (Songs) all over the globe are rich with lyrics of diversity, unity, and justice. It seldom depicts a call for the defense of the motherland, national pride, and racial superiority. While the adoption of “Arise O Compatriots” in 1978, is a clarion call for the Nigerianization of the country by her citizens, as well as serving her with “Love”, “Strength, and “Faith”. The new Anthem, ” Nigeria, We Hail Thee” is a colonial legacy which predates the nation’s political Independence of 1 October 1960, yet, reflect her diversities. It praises the name, Nigeria and calls her “Our dear native land”, and “Though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood, we stand!” This sounds smart and pretty! The second leader of colonial invasion, the French, in 1972, sings the blood of their enemies to water their fields (…Their impure blood should water our fields), the Argentines in 1847, pride themselves on dying gloriously for noble ideals (…Hear the sounds of broken chains. See noble equality enthroned), as the Italian Children are battle ready to die fighting for liberty (…Let us unite! We are ready to die; Italy called, 1813). This article seeks to say, that though, there is nothing wrong with changing the National Anthem of a nation if it imports emotive feelings from the perception of the leaders-citizens, the haste with which the passage of the Bill was done and assented to, by Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR), is un- nationalistic, undemocratic and to say the least, the last expectation of the Nigerians and its lovers at this time of the bitting economy and other convulsive and pestilence national issues seeking for urgent attention of the government. It also argues amongst other things, that it did not represent the aggregate opinions of the over 200 million Nigerians, particularly in advancing progressive ideals of governance, inclusivity, and the creativity of Nigerians especially the youths who can recreate or produce a better and far more richly National Anthems that captures the nation’s diversities if the National Assembly had called for public entries. Historically, sovereign nations change their Anthems to suit their present and past peculiarities when it becomes urgent national needs and they do this with a touch of originality and finishing. These nation in Africa include:1. The Republic of South Africa In 1997, South Africa, changed Ian Botham’s Apartheid regime Anthem to reflect the new era of Nelson Mandela’s democratic government. 2. Rwanda, following the destructive Civil War between the Hutu and Tutsi groups within Rwanda from 1 October 1990 to 18 July 1994, changed her Anthem in 2001, to promote national unity, diversity, and reconciliation.3. “Ishe Komborera Africa” Zimbabwe’s Anthem was changed to “Simudai Mureza Wedu WeZimbabew” in 1994 to have a distinctive anthem reflecting national unity and aspirations different from the Pan-Africanist styles in use by other countries. 4. DR Congo’s “Arise Congolese”, was dropped in favour of “La Zairoise” after she gained Independence from Belgium in 1971 to reflect the national ideals of Zaire. However, following the military coup that toppled the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997, she reverted to her old Anthem. 5. “God Bless Our Home Land” was the Gold Coast Anthem before Independence. She dropped it in favor of “Lift High the Flag of Ghana” at the attainment of Independence on March 6, 1957. 6. Nambia sang “Die Stem Van Suid Afrika” under the Republic of South Africa. However, “Nambia Land of Brave”, was adopted after gaining Independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990. 7. Under Muammar Gaddafi, the Oil rich country of Libya, changed to “Allahu Akbara” in 1969. The murder of Gaddafi on October 20, 2011, after the Sirte’s battle with the National Transitional Council (NTC) Force and the Civil War, made the country revert to her old Anthem “Libya Libya Libya” empaneled by the NTC. The Old Anthem No matter the argument one has against the “Arise O Compatriots”, at least, it was an Indigenous Anthem from Nigeria with a wider public involvement. The Anthem was adopted after a public call was made for entries in 1978 under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s Military Government, Nigerians from various creeds of life competed in a healthy contest, and at the end, rich lyrics were produced from the lines of five contestants in the following order:John A. Ikechukwu, Eme Etim Akpan, B. A. Ogunnaike, Sota Omoigui, and P.O. Aderibigbe. Another celebrated officer of blessed memory, Pa Benedict E. Odiase, former Music Director of the Nigerian Police Force, composed the musical tune. The Anthem and pledge talk about heroes, services, allegiance, national diversity, and the tenets of freedom, but Nigerian leaders, obey them in defiance. Sequel to this, it is pertinent to raise these posers:Is the changed Anthem responsible for the rising Dollar against the Naira? Is the Anthem responsible for all the electoral fraud and corruption going on in the country? Can Nigerian leaders blame the present messy economic situation of the country and the vagaries of insecurity on the old Anthem? Is it the Anthem that removed fuel subsidies, that failed to have a nationally decent minimum wage for workers?Can the old Anthem cause poor power-electricity generation and distribution in the country? Is it the Anthem that caused the level of infrastructural dilapidation and decay in this country in every meaningful sector of human endeavor?Again, is it the Anthem that will fix the Ajuokata Steel Plant, fix the refineries, provide institutional autonomy for efficiency and results, solve unemployment, provide good governance, etc? The New AnthemA certain British expatriate, Jean Lilian Williams, whose details are not much found in the public domain was credited to have written the present Anthem while a Bella Musician, Frances Berda, from France, composed the music, making two foreigners who emerged during the public contest that from which “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was adopted in 1960 by Sir. Tafawa Balewa and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as the Prime Minister and President respectively. The lyrics of the Anthem, are also rich and reflect the nation’s diversities, but not without colonial slang or pejorative words like “Tribes” and “Native”, hence the colonial servants then, use these words to make the people of the colonized feel less of themselves in divisive orders. Thus, it is gross neglect to the sensibilities of Nigerians for her leaders to reintroduce an Anthem of colonial tongues with divisive lines without recourse to a wider web of Nigerians all over the world who are making history and breaking records to write a new National Anthem if that is the only problem of the country. If there is no other document the National Assembly could lay its hands on to forward to the President, at least, the 2014 National Conference convened on March 17, 2014, headed by Chief Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, under the administration of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Johnathan, which also recommended that Nigeria should revert to the Williams Jean Anthem, should be implemented if not out rightly, at least, in segments starting with these nos: 2. Rotation of PresidencyRotation of Presidency between the North and South and governorship among the three senatorial districts of each state.3. Any elected official, executive or legislative, who carpet-cross, regardless of the reasons for such, shall automatically forfeit his seat.4. Mineral ExplorationExcess revenue should be used for the exploration of mineral resources in every part of the country.7. Open GrazingCattle routes and grazing reserves be phased out to emphasize ranching.8. New State For South EastThere shall be created an additional state for the South-East Zone to make the zone have an equal number of states with the other zones except the North West which has seven.The States For The RegionsCreation of another 18 new states (three per geo-political zone, this means SE will now have 4).10. Fiscal Sharing FormulaThe sharing of the funds to the Federation Account among the three tiers of government should be done in the following manner: Federal Government – 42.5%, State Governments – 35%, and Local Governments 22.5% as opposed to the prevailing 52.68 %, 26.72%, and 20.60% respectively.12. Appointment of MinistersThe President should select not more than 18 ministers from the six geo-political zones and not more than 30% of his ministers from outside the Legislature. Reduce the Cost of governance by pruning the number of political appointees and using staff of ministries where necessary. 14. Local Government AutonomyLocal Government will no longer be the third tier of government. The federal and states are now to be the only tiers of government. States can now create as many local governments as they want. 15. ImmunityThe immunity clause should be removed if the offenses attract criminal charges to encourage accountability by those managing the economy. 21. Mission SchoolsPublic schools taken over by various state governments across the country forty-two years ago would henceforth be returned to the religious missions that were the original owners. In summary, for the “Renewed Hope 8 Points Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver on his mandate, committed efforts should be made to implement these points contained in the Report of the 2014 National Confab and not bring back the unimportant already lost in the dust bin of history, such as the New National Anthem- Nigeria, We Hail Thee.
Trending News & entertainment
