Two individuals were pronounced dead following an explosion involving a suspected Liquefied Natural Gas tanker at the Obiri-Ikwerre flyover on the outskirts of Port Harcourt in Rivers state.

The explosion occurred around 9:25 am when the tanker overturned while attempting to navigate the bypass at the flyover.

Almost immediately, it burst into flames, tragically engulfing a salon car with two individuals inside.

This unfortunate incident comes just a month after another devastating explosion caused by a fuel-laden tanker along the Eleme axis of the East-West Road.

The previous accident resulted in the loss of approximately five lives and the destruction of over 60 vehicles.

On the recent occurrence, the PUNCH quoted an eyewitness to have revealed that the two occupants of the car were unable to escape and were tragically burned to death.

“My office is just close by here. It was a terrible sight. Two persons inside a salon car parked nearby were burnt beyond recognition.

“The tanker was trying to negotiate through the flyover when it fell and the explosion occurred,” the eyewitness said.

Rivers Tanker Explosion

It is worth noting that the Obiri-Kwere flyover leads to the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in the Ikwerre local government area of the state.

Another eyewitness, who identified himself as Lucky, said the sound of the explosion spread to residential areas near the flyover and caused panic.

He stated, ‘It was about past 9 am that I was driving towards the University of Port Harcourt that I saw the flames.

“I quickly made a u-turn because I was driving. Many vehicles started making a detour to avoid the scene of the fire, somewhere even videoing the fire with their phones”.

Confirming the explosion, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, “Yes, I can confirm that two persons died in the tanker fire. Myself and the Commissioner of Police, are on the ground as I speak to you.

“The fire has been put out but the area is still dangerous because the gas is still licking.

“So motorists are advised to take alternative routes to avoid any further casualty. The investigation is ongoing. “

The Senate on Tuesday promised to fast track its consideration and passage of a new Minimum Wage Bill for the country.

This is even as the Red Chamber commended the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress for suspending its indefinite strike for one week.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio made these remarks during plenary in Abuja.

Akpabio’s comments followed a motion calling on the NLC and TUC to suspend the strike.

The motion was sponsored by Senator Diket Plang (PDP – Plateau Central), who chairs the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment.

However, during debate on the motion, information got to the chamber that the NLC and TUC have suspended their strike action for one week to allow for further negotiations with the Federal Government.

Following the information, the Senate stepped down the motion.

Akpabio said: “Taking it (motion) will mean that we are jumping the gun and we are trying to settle the issues for them.

“There are many variables that they will look at – capacity to pay and the ability of states, local governments and private sector to even pay.

“They will also be looking at the fact that if the minimum wage is too high, then the possibility of retrenchment of workers will occur and I think they will do comparative analysis to know that the last minimum wage which was fixed at N30,000.00 by this parliament as an Act of the National Assembly, how many states were able to pay? How many local governments were able to pay? How many employers were able to pay?

“We’ll be looking at those things because it’s important that holistic approach be looked at and I have taken the suggestion that we should not rest until we arrive at an amicable resolution of the issue and that the National Assembly should also continue to make its own contributions towards the ongoing negotiations.

“On that note, I want to thank the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiations.

“On our part, we will continue to do our best by making contributions and at the same time awaiting the incoming Bill on Minimum Wage for us to enact for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

Oyo State Governor, Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde, has approved the appointment of Professor Razaq Olatunde Rom Kalilu as the substantive Vice Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso. 

This was confirmed by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Salihu Adelabu, in a statement.

The statement, which was released on Tuesday, stated further that Prof. Kalilu is to serve as substantive vice chancellor for a single term of five years, with effect from June 12, 2024.

Recall that the governing council of the institution forwarded the name of the VC to Governor Makinde last week.

He said that the government looks forward to his hard work, diligence, and professionalism in realizing its mission for the institution.

Prof Kalilu is a well-established figure in the world of art and art history. 

He joined the service of LAUTECH on September 1, 1992, and was pronounced a Professor of Arts and Arts History in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, twenty-four years ago on October 1, 1999, and was appointed as Acting Vice-Chancellor on June 12, 2023.

Kalilu, an alumnus of the prestigious University of Ife and the University of Ibadan, is a polymath and specialist in form and material technology. His administrative skills and leadership experiences are intense, integrous and ambidextrous.

He was the Head of Department of Fine and Applied Arts from 1998 to 2003; Dean of Faculty of Environmental Sciences from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2012 to 2016; Chairman, Committee of Deans in 2004; and from 2004 to 2006 the Chairman, Committee of Deans and Provosts; he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH between 2006 and 2008.  

Professor Kalilu is a recipient of many national and international prizes and awards, which include: the Gold Medal in the 1978–1979 All Africa Painting Contest; Elected Membership of the New York Academy of Sciences in recognition of his contributions to Science and Technology; Merit Prize in International Postage Stamp Design Contest in 1997; the Outstanding People of the 20th Century Outstanding Achievement Medal in 2000; and the Twentieth Century Achievement Award in 2001. 

His other prizes and awards include his selection as one of the 1000 Leaders of World Influence for the 21st century in year 2000 and the distinguished and exceptional Universal Award of Accomplishment in 2000. Furthermore, he received the Development in Nigeria Merit Award in 2006.

Professor Rom Kalilu is a member of several academic and intellectual organisations, which include the Australian Ceramic Society, and the International Association of Astronomical Artists. and is a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Artists.

Fifty miners have been reportedly feared trapped at a mining site in Niger state. The incident occurred after a torrential rainfall on Sunday in Galkogo community in Shiroro local government area of the state.

Our Correspondent reliably gathered that the site belongs to “African Minerals and Logistics Limited.”

An impeccable source told our Correspondent that one person has already been confirmed dead while six others are also confirmed to have heard various degrees of injuries.

Meanwhile, an excavator has already been sent to the area for rescue operations.

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu said yesterday that the completion of critical infrastructure projects across Nigeria by his administration was a clear example of what the country was capable of achieving when its leaders decide to work together towards a common goal, irrespective of political divide and personal interest. 

Accordingly, he noted that the commissioning of the expanded outer southern expressway, OSEX, completed by the FCT administration, was  a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership that goes beyond political and other affiliations.

The President stated this  at the presidential commissioning ceremony of the full-scope development of OSEX from Villa roundabout to Ring road 1 (RR1) in Abuja. 

Tinubu, who was represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, noted that the expanded outer southern expressway held profound significance for the FCT, its residents and visitors.

“The completion of this project is not only a piece of engineering but a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership.

‘’It is a shining example of what we can accomplish when we work together towards a common goal, transcending political divide and personal interest for the greater good of our nation,” he declared.

“I thank the Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, and his team for quickening development and giving the residents of Abuja renewed hope,” he stated, reaffirming his administration’s dedication to enhancing the quality of life for all Nigerians,” he added.

Airline activities have fully resumed at the Murtala Muhammad Airport’s local wing in Lagos.

Naija News reports that this follows the suspension of the nationwide industrial strike by the organized labour group.

Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) announced on Tuesday (today) the suspension of the strike that began on Monday.

The strike resulted in the halt of all flight activities throughout the nation as the aviation unions participated in the walkout.

Nonetheless, airlines have begun to resume their services after losing a full day by grounding their planes.

According to Daily Trust, reporters who visited the MMA2 on Tuesday by 11:00 am, observed that numerous passengers were waiting at the entrance for the Labor Union to cancel the strike.

However, with the strike put on hold for a week, flight operations are slowly picking up.

As of the moment this report was written, a ValueJet flight to Abuja was preparing to take off, and another was scheduled for Port Harcourt.

It was further observed that the airport was relatively quiet after the strike was called off, but there are signs that operations are starting to get back to normal.

In a separate statement, the General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba, confirmed the end of the labour strike, saying all members have been mobilized back to their offices.

“Due to the agreement with the presidency, the strike will be relaxed for one week starting from now to enable the tripartite committee concluded deliberations on the minimum wage negotiation so, flight operations will resume now, have resumed actually because all the blockages have been removed,” he said.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has acknowledged Muhammadu Sanusi II as the rightful ruler of the Kano emirate amidst the ongoing power struggle for the throne.

Besides the recognition from all district heads in Kano’s 44 local government areas, council chairmen, commissioners, and prominent Kano and Nigerian citizens, the NBA has also affirmed Sanusi’s status as the 16th Emir of Kano by inviting him to their ongoing annual conference in Kano.

The conference, held at Amani Event Centre in Kano, was attended by notable figures including the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, NBA President Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Aboki, and other legal luminaries.

This event marks the first annual NBA conference for the entire northern region.

In light of the event’s significance, the NBA extended an official invitation to Emir Sanusi, requesting his presence, royal blessing, and an address to the attendees.

Emir Sanusi, speaking at the NBA conference through his representative Mahe Bashir Wali (the Walin Kano), warmly welcomed the participants and highlighted Kano’s long, enviable history as a cultural and commercial nerve center of the northern region.

The monarch stated that the conference’s theme, ‘Administration of Justice in Nigeria: Challenges and Reforms,’ was apt, emphasizing that peace, a prerequisite for progress and development, can only be achieved through justice in the land.

State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf saw the conference as a good opportunity to challenge NBA members on the conflicting court orders regarding the Kano emirate tussle, emphasizing that the case is purely a state affair.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Bappa Bichi, the governor urged legal practitioners at the conference to tell their clients the truth about bad cases, even if it is bitter, rather than satisfying them by pursuing actions outside the ambit of the law.

To tackle the challenges facing the administration of justice in Nigeria, the Governor emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law and implementing comprehensive judicial reforms.

Barrister O.M. Femi, speaking on the emirate tussle, noted that while the NBA is aware of the situation, it’s crucial for the court to decide to prevent further grievances among involved parties, setting a precedent for future cases.

He emphasized that the current Emir of Kano is His Royal Majesty Muhammadu Sanusi II, evident from his representation at the ongoing NBA annual conference, which signifies the recognition accorded to him by legal practitioners.

Barr Femi said “The NBA is not unaware of what is happening, but it is good that the court is to decide, so that non of the parties involved would be aggrieved again. The ruling will set a precedence for lawyers and judges on such matters.

“However, you don’t need to be told or to wear binoculars to see that His Royal Majesty Muhammadu Sanusi II is the current Emir of Kano.

“Nothing explains this fact more than what could be deduced from the ongoing NBA’s annual conference attended by Muhammadu Sanusi II by proxy. The recognition accorded him by the legal practitioners of our land tells it all.”

The Organised Labour has suspended its nationwide strike for five days to allow uninterrupted meetings with the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.

This new development was disclosed to Vanguard by a top source among the labour union leaders under the condition of anonymity.

Previously reported on the new resolutions regarding the minimum wage after Labour leaders met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and other government officials on Monday night. During the meeting, Akume confirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to paying more than N60,000 as the minimum wage.

He also assured that no worker would face repercussions for participating in the strike and that the tripartite committee would convene daily for the next week to finalize the new minimum wage.

Following the scheduled 10 a.m. meeting with the FG Tripartite Committee today (Tuesday), Labour decided to suspend the strike. Consequently, all government and private offices are expected to reopen and operate as usual.

This development marks a critical step towards resolving the minimum wage issue, ensuring that the tripartite committee can work towards an agreeable National Minimum Wage without further disruptions.

The tripartite meeting of the National Minimum Wage Committee, which started at about 5pm on Monday, concerning a potential increase in the minimum wage, has concluded at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The meeting had delegations from the federal government and the organized labour in attendance. 

At the end of the meeting, which lasted for about five hours, the federal government and the labour unions – Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), reached some agreements which were documented and signed by all parties.

At the end of the meeting, SGF George Akume, who briefed newsmen on the outcome of discussions, revealed that President Bola Tinubu is committed to a minimum wage higher than ₦60,000.

Below are highlights of resolutions reached at the meeting.

1. PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU IS COMMITTED TO MORE THAN ₦60,000 MINIMUM WAGE.

2. NO WORKER WILL BE VICTIMISED AS A RESULT OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION.

3. WE HAVE HAD A REALISTIC AND PRODUCTIVE MEETING.

4. TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE TO MEET DAILY FOR ONE WEEK.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, on behalf of the federal government, while the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, signed on behalf of organized labour.

NLC, TUC Give Update On Strike After Meeting

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are set to convene on Tuesday to consult their members and make a decision regarding the ongoing nationwide strike.

This follows the conclusion of the meeting between the labour leaders and the federal government delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, on Monday. 

The labour unions had embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday over the dispute with the federal government on the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

However, Akume summoned the labour leaders to a meeting during which resolutions were reached on fast-tracking the process of arriving at a conclusion on a new minimum wage.

Organized labour will meet their organs on Tuesday and decide on the strike.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has called on Organised Labour to halt its ongoing nationwide strike, which has significantly disrupted economic activities across Nigeria.

Speaking on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Monday, Onyejeocha emphasized the extensive economic losses incurred since the strike’s onset, affecting businesses, airports, universities, hospitals, and the power sector.

During her appearance, she highlighted the complexities in determining a new minimum wage, noting that it involves not only the Federal Government but also state governments and the Organised Private Sector.

She pointed out that the aftermath of the strike’s first 24 hours had brought considerable hardship to Nigerians, urging the labour unions to return to the negotiating table.

The minister stressed the impracticality of the ₦494,000 wage demand by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), indicating that several state governments are still struggling to meet the ₦30,000 minimum wage set in 2019.

She argued that any new wage agreement must reflect the economic realities, including the productivity and financial capabilities of employers.

Onyejeocha urged the unions to consider the ₦60,000 offer proposed by the government and the private sector, cautioning that the higher demand could exacerbate the already high inflation rate, which stands at 33.69%.

One of the very easy tactics that a government adopts when it sees that it is unpopular with the publics that it governs is to create a diversion, fly a kite or invent a subject of controversy to keep the people busy and draw them away from what exactly they should be talking about. The media gets easily sucked into the sensational subject because that sells the news, and in the midst of the frenzy that follows, with the commentariat and civil society beating their chests and staging a drama of their own, and government fuelling the narrative, the big issues of the day are glossed over and government heaves a sigh of relief. This is precisely the diversionary tactic that has been adopted by the Tinubu administration by making the reversion to Nigeria’s old National Anthem the big issue of the day as the administration marked its one year in office. 

One week to May 29, the government sent an Executive Bill to the National Assembly which worked expeditiously on the Bill, taking it through the necessary readings and passing it promptly. On May 29, Nigerians were further confused as to whether the President would address the National Assembly or not, with two spokespersons working for the same President on the same subject of public communication working at cross-purposes, contradicting each other, on a matter that should have generated no controversy whatsoever. As it turned out, the President finally showed up at the National Assembly on May 29, in what the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, described as a Nollywood “waka pass” appearance. But it just wasn’t a “waka pass” simply because the President had no written script – he spoke extempore. The visit acquired a major significance when it was disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had that same morning signed a bill amending the National Anthem Act into law, and that a new National Anthem Act, 2024 had come into effect, cancelling the 1978 National Anthem: “Arise o Compatriots” and compelling Nigerians to return to the old National Anthem: “Nigeria We hail Thee”. 

Many Nigerians were shocked and outraged.  At the National Assembly, the lawmakers recited the old National Anthem. The scandal of it was that many of them did not even know the lyrics of the same Anthem that they were supposed to be singing. The government’s move, its Nollywood theatrics, wittingly or unwittingly, had the prompt effect of generating a controversy, a furore. A few days earlier, we had been told that the Presidency was conducting a Ministerial Record Card session where Ministers were required to give accounts of their stewardship. Most of the Ministers had spent about eight or nine months in office and before May 29, at least eight Ministers made presentations. With the National Anthem thrown into the mix, nobody talked again about the Minister’s score card. Indeed, till this moment, there has been very little discussion of the Tinubu administration’s score card in one year. That subject has been pushed off the front pages by the controversy over the National Anthem. Even the wise men who had advised that Tinubu should be allowed to spend one year in office before any assessment is done, have been studiously quiet. They have refused to respect their own deadline. And so, Tinubu and his team, in their classical “teamship” fashion have as they say, played a smart one on Nigerians. And we the people got fooled. Cluelessness has no better definition. Of all the things that assail Nigerians: high cost of living, crude oil theft, food inflation, insecurity, corruption, divestments by multinational oil corporations, the flight of capital to other countries, the unabating spread of a culture of hate in the country, poor governance, bad politics, many Nigerians are left wondering why a national Anthem should be a subject of urgent national importance. 

Some of the immediate responses are noteworthy. Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of the Federal Republic (Solid Minerals, Education), was quick to create a hashtag #NotmyNationalAnthem to express her objection to the reversion to the colonial National Anthem. She made it clear that she would always sing the 1978 National Anthem “Arise O Compatriots”, and not “Nigeria We Hail Thee”.  She was of the view that this was “an egregious case of Majoring in the Minor…repugnant to good conscience.”  She was soon joined by Senator Shehu Sani who wondered aloud about the Tinubu administration’s misplacement of priorities. When the matter was debated on the floor of the Senate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) had objected to the use of the words; “native and tribe” in the old National Anthem. Many Nigerians agreed with him. “Native and tribe” are pejorative words with which the colonialists who gave Nigeria a National Anthem at independence in 1960 identified us.  Oshiomhole was hushed up. The majority had their way. Within days, school pupils were already being taken through the ordeal of learning the old anthem. A video soon went viral of the dance-and-song-loving Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke trying to re-learn the National Anthem. But it was only a matter of time before the conscientious objectors took centre-stage. Aisha Yesufu, the activist was at an event where the old, now new National Anthem was played and she refused to stand up. Everyone glared at her. She neither budged nor flinched. She has since defended her choice by dismissing the National Anthem as an “obnoxious law”. She added: “We are citizens, not slaves.” She went a step further to claim that “Tinubu was not voted for. He rigged his way to office. How dare he?” Mrs Yesufu has since been supported by Mrs Oby Ezekwesili who returned to the subject, stating that the National Assembly engaged in “a Kangaroo Act of violating the Constitution”. 

The legal line highlighted by Ezekwesili has also been taken up a civil society group: the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners which has now gone to court to argue that the court should declare the new National anthem illegal and unconstitutional on the grounds that (a) the National Assembly did not conduct a public hearing as required under Section 60 of the 1999 Constitution. However, the National Assembly insists that there was a public hearing. The protesters insist that nobody was aware of any public hearing: when, where, and how was it held? (b) no letter of transmission of the said Bill was sent to the President as required by law. Nigeria is a funny country. The said letter can be manufactured and backdated. It would be a bigger scandal for the President of Nigeria to announce a law to which he did not append his signature. (c) The Association of Legislative Drafters also argues that the expenditures associated with the National Anthem Act 2024 are not captured in the 2024 Budget; (d) that the new Anthem would impose financial burden on Nigerians including costs such as man-hours that would be spent updating official documents.  They forgot to add that learning a new Anthem is in itself an unnecessary burden but they were quite right to say that any law that does not follow due constitutional process cannot stand as held in AG of Bendel State vs. AG of the Federation & 22 Ors. (1981).

The foregoing objections notwithstanding, there have also been persons who have supported the reversion to the old National Anthem. Senator Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, was quoted as saying that “the most profound act of Tinubu is taking Nigeria back to the old National Anthem”. Please, what is profound about a thoughtless, impulsive legislative and executive act that required no serious reflection and has no bearing whatsoever on good governance? My friend and colleague, Professor Anthony Kila has dismissed Akpabio’s statement as sycophancy writ large. But what can we also make of the statement attributed to Hon. Philip Agbese, Member of the House of Representatives (Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituencies) who reportedly said “the old National Anthem is a major step towards the country’s return to glory days”. Haba! How? The more intelligent defence of the reversion to the old and new National Anthem came from Professor Mike Ozekhome, the legal luminary who has argued repeatedly that he, indeed, canvassed for a return to the old National Anthem at the 2014 National Conference, a motion that was unanimously carried at plenary and which formed one of the major recommendations of the Conference. Ozekhome, who studied English, before he studied Law and rose to the very top in that chosen vocation rests his argument on what he considers the linguistic profundity of the old National Anthem.  He thinks that the phrasing of the old National Anthem evokes emotions that align more with the Nigerian situation. He has also been identified as one Nigerian who attended the public hearing that the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners insists never took place. Who else attended that public hearing? 

Besides, Ozekhome has been reminded that the 2014 National Conference that he quotes triumphantly as “the man who saw tomorrow” had far more fundamental resolutions that have been ignored most conveniently by the Tinubu administration viz: review of fiscal revenue sharing formula,  creation of new states,  qualification to become President - that is anybody aspiring to be President of Nigeria must have at least a university degree; rotation of Presidency; decamping – any elected official who cross-carpets must automatically forefeet his seat;  acting Presidency – when a President dies in office, the Vice President can only act for 90 days during which an election to the same office shall be conducted; open grazing -  cattle routes and grazing reserves should be phased out to encourage ranching; a new state for the South East for purposes of equity and balance; review of the form of government; local government autonomy, removal of the immunity clause, state police, abolition of sponsorship of religious pilgrimages. Out of all these weightier issues, it is curious that the one that catches President Tinubu’s fancy is the recommendation about the National Anthem! And the law was passed within a week – quite a record in legislative efficiency that deserves deeper probe.

The whole saga got really messy when it became apparent, and the social media amplified this that indeed in 2022, ahead of the 2023 general election, President Tinubu, then a candidate and aspirant had granted an interview where he expressed preference for the old National Anthem and vowed in these words: “the old anthem is about service, diversity and commitment. I don’t know why we changed it.  If I had my way, I will bring it back.” Tinubu won the 2023 Presidential election and now he is having his way and he has changed Nigeria’s National Anthem to satisfy his own wish. Laws are to be made for the common good, not for persons and their whims. One of my favourite passages in Lee Kuan Yew’s book, “From Third World to First” is where he writes about African leaders and lawmaking, and how African leaders create laws to serve personal interests rather than the interest of the people. In his view, this hinders development and perpetuates poverty. In that book, Lee Kuan Yew wrote specifically about his visit to Nigeria for a Commonwealth meeting hosted by Prime Minister Sir Tafawa Balewa. There was a banquet at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, where Minister Yew sat opposite Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh. Of the Chief, Yew reports in his book that: “He was going to retire soon. He had done enough for his country and now had to look after his business, a shoe factory. As Finance Minister, he had imposed a tax on imported shoes so that Nigeria could make shoes. Singapore Foreign Minister Sinnathamby Rajaratnam and I were incredulous. Chief Festus had a good appetite that showed in his rotund figure, elegantly camouflaged in colourful Nigerian robes with gold ornamentation and a splendid cap.  I went to bed that night convinced that they were a different people playing to a different set of rules.” 

Minister Yew is certainly right. Nigerians are a different people playing to a different set of rules. As it was in the 60s, so it is now in 2024. The world is talking about the future of things driven by Generative AI, we are here in 2024 talking about National Anthem, we are busy going back to the past, not knowing what to do with the present or the future. To worsen matters, President Tinubu also wears a splendid cap! And he has made a law, with the support of the National Assembly to please himself. It must be noted that even the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had to intervene to say that the National Anthem Act should have been subjected to wider consultation. Thus, the country’s chief law officer tactically disowned the new National Anthem. Law is made for the people, not the other way round, and the true test of any law lies in its acceptance by the people. Dr. Kayode Ajulo, SAN, OON and AG of Ondo State has put in an opinion that “the Nigerian National Anthem Act stipulates that failure to stand during the rendition of the anthem is an offense punishable by imprisonment, fine and or both fine and imprisonment.” In other words, if more Nigerians follow the Mrs. Yesufu and Mrs. Ezekwesili line of protest, Tinubu would have more than enough people to arrest. Alternatively, he may face a situation where most Nigerians regard the return to the old anthem as a joke. Already, Nigerians ever so ready to create a social media skit out of everything have invented many versions of the National Anthem; fuji, hip hop, juju and reggae versions! So, how many people will Tinubu arrest? 

Section 24 (a) of the 1999 Constitution on essential duties of citizens says that citizens are required to “abide by this Constitution, respect its ideals and its institutions, the National Flag, the National Anthem, the National Pledge and legitimate authorities.” This is in Chapter Two, the justiciability of which remains a subject of debate.  I have not seen a copy of the National Anthem Act of 2024 - if at all it exists, it is yet to be published, but it would be most strange indeed to send anybody to prison or asked to pay a fine for refusing to sing the National Anthem. Mrs Aisha Yesifu may well be right when she proclaimed that “we are citizens, not slaves.” All things considered, the re-introduction of “Nigeria We Hail Thee” is a gamble. Nigerians who argue that it is wrong to return to an anthem written by Lillian Jean Williams and set to musical score by Frances Berda are beginning to ask why the Tinubu government has a colonial mentality. In 1978, the then Nigerian military government, opted for a new National Anthem: “Arise O Compatriots,” which was selected from the lyrics of five winning entries, fused into one. The entries were submitted by P. O. Aderogba, Babatunde Ogunnaike, John Ikechukwu, Eme Etim Akpan and Sotu Omoigui. The Director of Music, Nigeria Police Band, Benedict Odiase selected the lyrics, fused them and composed the music.

It is most unfortunate that we are busy discussing National Anthem rather than more important issues. This is the very height of cluelessness. We may soon end up as. a nation with two National Anthems. Those who claim that Tinubu’s National Anthem is a profound act, and an achievement of great national importance should cease and desist forthwith from sounding so ridiculous.