Musician and
song-writer Ejikeme popularly called Etcetera is at it again. He is a columnist
with Punch; and every Saturday, he takes a critical look at social issues. His views
are always controversial and his today’s write-up is not an exception.
My friend said he doesn’t
agree with everything he wrote here, but you can read and air your own view. Find
it after the cut…
After hearing of the proposal of some
delegates at the ongoing confab that we should revert to the old national
anthem, I sat by my piano and played both anthems. Playing and singing to the
current anthem “Arise O’ Compatriot” was basically easy because I had done that
countless times and I wasn’t even looking at the piano keys as I sang through
the verses. I downloaded the lyrics of the old anthem just to be sure I was
singing the right words. I know the tune by heart because my dad frequently
sang it to me when I was a little school boy. And I felt nothing as usual
singing it. But right from the first line of the old anthem “Nigeria We Hail
Thee,” I felt a strange sense of pride and patriotism. I felt very strange
because like every Nigerian, I am saddened that as a country, we have lost our
way. We are a giant tied to undeveloped nations, and kept in bondage by our
leaders whose corruption and greed demonstrate a lack of love for their own
people. As I got to the point that says “Though tribes and tongues may differ
and in brotherhood we stand,” I discovered that I had stopped playing the piano
and was just reciting the words. Struck with the fact that the composers took
to mind our vast ethnic differences and even proffered a solution that in
“brotherhood” we will stand strong against adversaries, home or foreign. Our
tribal and ethnic differences have been at the bottom of every problem we have
faced as a country.
President Obasanjo had all the right in the
world to dream, a leader who does not dream, hardly accomplishes much, but my
point is that a leader has to dream right, and not take the nation on a pipe
dream. There were lots of bridges our nation needed to cross at that time.
There were lots of things a good leader should have seen happen, before going
after such an unwarranted project of changing the national anthem. Singing
further, it became clear to me why the old anthem must have been changed
immediately I saw the line that says “To hand on to our children a banner
without stain.” The words of this anthem can only resonate in a country with
moral leadership, starting from its leaders and permeating all tiers of the
government from top to bottom. Corruption is no longer a problem in Nigeria as
it has become a full fledge institution and a way of life.
Every morning at schools, chorus of voices
try to hit the high notes of the current anthem, which have proved uninspiring
even for the little kids. Ask our politicians why they always muffle the
lyrics. In fact, many people consider ours the world’s least singable national
anthem. I think it is time for a revert to the old anthem. Just like the confab
delegates have pointed out.
It is obvious that we can no longer be
comforted by the drum roll in the current national anthem. I haven’t seen any
Nigerian smiling with pride whenever it is being played. I am sure Pa Odiase
won’t be smiling at me now from heaven for saying this. But truth be told, the
music of our current anthem has failed to inspire one nation bound in freedom,
peace and unity.
A lot of Nigerians have become too
comfortable being tone-deaf and have resisted every attempt for their hearing
to be restored. A lot of Nigerians love the tone of deceit as much as to dance
to it. I have sung the current anthem countless times but my literary
appreciation and criticism would not allow me to accept it. I kept asking
myself what evil have we committed as a nation to warrant our leaders to seek
escape from a vow to “hand over to our children a banner without stain.” They
have changed the prayers in the old anthem to fading echos. Little wonder the
country is at the brink of collapse.
We love Nigeria and believe in her great
potential, but we must also address issues of oppression and injustice within
her as written in the old anthem. I love the part that says “Our flag shall be
a symbol that truth and justice reigns.” Today, wherever you find the Nigerian
flag, it is either torn or rumpled so bad or on make-shift poles that you
wonder if our leaders in government and people ever consider such symbols as
important at all. How can you indoctrinate your people on how to appreciate and
value their citizenship and nationality if symbols like that mean nothing to
you? And when you don’t value what you have, how do you expect other nationals
to value it? It all boils down to the nation doing what it needs to do to make
its citizen proud to belong. Our governments, state and federal, just don’t
value such things.
The current anthem talks about love. But our
political leaders show only love for themselves and their immediate family. We
are living the opposite of everything called for in the current anthem. Our
leaders with their blindness are unable to see the car crash waiting to happen.
They should know that the history of this nation can never be altered or erased
no matter how hard they try.
THE OLD ANTHEM (1960- 1978)
Nigeria we hail thee, Our own dear native
land, Though tribes and tongues may differ, In brotherhood we stand, Nigerians
all are proud to serve, Our sovereign Motherland.
Our flag shall be a symbol, That truth and
justice reign, In peace or battle honour’d, And this we count as gain, To hand
on to our children, A banner without stain.
O God of all creation, Grant this our one
request, Help us to build a nation, Where no man is oppressed, And so with
peace and plenty, Nigeria may be blessed.
Culled
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