The speed at which the Bill to change Nigeria’s National Anthem was given an accelerated hearing and passed by the House Representatives, last Thursday, thus enabling it to scale the first, second and third readings at the same sitting, is really interesting.

Dismissing all opposition to the Bill, which apparently came “from the top,” the House of Representatives gave an accelerated hearing to what it considered an ”all-important” Bill and passed it without minding whose ox is gored.

Interestingly, the Bill to revert to the country’s old National Anthem, titled, titled: “Act to Provide for the National Anthem of Nigeria, and for Matters Related’,” was sponsored by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), a top ranking member of the green chamber.

Leading the general debate on the general principles of the Bill, Ihonvbere noted that the current anthem lacks the rigour of the old.

“I have taken time to look at the old anthem and the new and as a Nigerian who has been involved in the struggle to make Nigeria a better place either as a student to the student union movement, including the “Ali must go” movement or as a university teacher; having been secretary, vice chairman and chairman of ASUU or as a pro-democracy activist who spent 12 and a half years in self-exile, I believe that the old anthem, encompasses, contains, exudes the kind of energy, resourcefulness and a sense of vision that I believe is good for Nigeria,” he said