At the rate some public officials are going, no one should be surprised if a bill surfaces in the National Assembly tomorrow seeking to rename the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the Federal Republic of Asiwaju. When that happens, we will seize being Nigerians and become Asiwajuans! What a great name. Anyone saying God forbid as Nigerians are wont to do is not reading the signs correctly. In a country where public officials – elected and appointed – are falling over themselves and elbowing each other to please one man, God is not in the business of forbidden anything. Come to think of it, how long did it take the National Assembly to pass the bill that changed the national anthem in May 2024? Six days! On May 23, 2024, the bill passed its first and second readings in both the Senate and House of Representatives. On May 28, 2024, the Senate passed the bill to restore the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” an action which the House of Representatives took on May 23. And on May 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed it into law.
A national anthem serves as an important symbol of a country’s sovereignty and the foundation of national identity. Yet, the House of Representatives passed this important bill in one day, without any recourse to the people they claim to represent and on whose behalf they make laws. There was no public hearing. Even in the Red Chamber where the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters perfunctorily held a public hearing on May 27, 2024, it was to fulfil all righteousness. Which explains why the admonition of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, that the lawmakers should conduct wider, nationwide consultations before passing the bill was ignored. Instead, the committee pushed forward with accelerated legislation. What mattered was that President Tinubu wanted the bill passed. And in the Federal Republic of Asiwaju, whatever Tinubu wants, he gets.
