The Old New National Anthem-A call to pay more attention to the Sacred Chambers?

By Haleemah Ali Bankole

What new skit is trending on social media? One not worth sparing my leisure time, I concluded. Alas, its not a skit. A beautiful soulful National Anthem that resonates with Nigerians has been unceremoniously thrown to the bins to be traded by an outdated irrelevant non-indigenous Anthem, composed by a foreigner and written by yet another foreigner!

Is some sort of colonial oath from master to slave shrouding over us like a shadow to its owner? Why should a birth child be forsaken and a foreigner called to scribe an ode to our fatherland.  Perhaps this is a belated April Fools joke and we will all wake up tomorrow to an apology for the expensive joke.

Democracy is for the people and by the people. School children chant this every day. We, their teachers, are confused on how to justify a preference for white things over indigenous things. We, the people, educators and children are pained by this forceful attack on our identity, its an imposition and disruption of our heritage and a dent to the promising future we have been trying to hold on to against all odds. We, the Nigerians still optimistic that we are on track and getting to the promised land, have been hit by the whirlwind of this old new anthem. Its biting into our eyes  and we are struggling to keep our feet on the ground and hold on to the beautiful picture of a brighter future despite all odds.

 The uncommon history of our beloved anthem Arise O Compatroits was a national contest whereby the five winning poems by P.O. Aderibigbe, John A. Ilechukwu, Eme Etim Akpan and B.A Ogunaike  were subsequently composed by Ben Odiase who served in the Nigerian Police Force from 1954 to 1992.

Arise, O Compatriots  was adopted to promote national ownership since the previous anthem was composed by a British expatriate. The excuse of an anthem introduced by the military is an excuse for lack of excuse. A democratic anthem by a colonialist as a replacement for an indigenous anthem introduced by the military is like trading gold for glass. How do I teach my students now that our national anthem is composed by a foreigner and written by a foreigner? Increased patriotism is an unlikely result . Hearts are dampened and disappointed enough as it is in the Nigerian Dream. 

Is this some sort of knowing or unknowing suicide mission to sink Nigeria to the abyss of confusion for the continued return of a colonialism more brutal than pre-independence. 

Then, Nigeria was not overcome without a fight, today Nigeria increasing seems to beg for and dance into re- colonization. It is therefore pertinent that we keep our eyes on the sacred chamber where laws are brewed, while we spur our voices to the heart of the chambers.

Anthem aside, this worrisome development calls for more vigilance to the sacred chambers. If this absurdity can play out with such speed of lightning, the question then iswhats next on the cards of absurdities?