The former Minister of Solid Minerals, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has publicly declared her refusal to sing the newly reinstated old national anthem, a decision that has stirred significant public interest.
Ezekwesili, an esteemed economic policy expert and prominent social activist, shared her stance on her personal X page, where she voiced her disapproval of the new law endorsed by President Bola Tinubu.
Ezekwesili wrote, “Let it be known to all and sundry that I, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, shall, whenever asked to sing the Nigerian National Anthem, sing:
Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.
Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our leader’s right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace and justice reign.”
She emphasized that the former anthem would remain her personal national anthem, asserting her right to dissent against a law she views as fundamentally unjust and contrary to good conscience.
This declaration comes in the wake of President Tinubu’s decision to sign into law a bill reinstating Nigeria’s old national anthem. The legislative process for this bill began with a second reading on May 23, and after comprehensive discussions by the committee, it was approved and passed during its third reading. Ezekwesili’s outspoken resistance highlights a broader debate within the country regarding national identity and legislative decisions.
