The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has criticized the Senate for hastily passing a bill to revert to the old national anthem of 1960.
The group argued that the decision was made without sufficient input from Nigerians and lacks majority support.
The MMWG has the belief that the Senate should have given the issue more consideration and allowed citizens to contribute to the discussion before making a decision.
They agreed with the Attorney General that the national anthem is a matter that goes beyond the Senate’s authority to decide alone.
“Instead of rushing the passing of the Bill on reversion to the old national anthem, issues bordering on the welfare, care and protection of Nigerians in this hard time ought to occupy the minds of our national legislators rather than a national anthem change or reversion,” said the group, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Abdullahi and national secretary, Dr Nasir Balogun.
Instead of focusing on changing the national anthem, the group urged the Senate to prioritize issues that affect Nigerians’ daily lives, such as improving their welfare, care, and protection.
They also call on President Bola Tinubu to ignore the bill and focus on his economic and social infrastructure programs, including providing better pay for workers, enhancing pensions for seniors, and restoring power across the country.
