Nigeria Content Online

Strolling while the
Nigeria’s National Anthem is being recited may soon be punishable by
law, as the Senate on Thursday passed its bill through second reading.

The advancement of
the bill is a significant step in standardising its rendition as well as
protecting the National Anthem, which most of the senators agree is
currently exposed to risk of annihilation.

The bill is
sponsored by Osita Izunaso PDP from Imo state who also sponsored the
bill to mandate doctors to treat accident victims without police
reports.

“Our National Anthem
if not backed by law, might be rightly jettisoned into the historical
dustbin if any President feels he does not like it,’’ Mr. Izunaso said.

The bill seeks,
among other things, to give a legal framework to the National Anthem and
gives protection to it against unwarranted tampering and abuse.The bill
is to make the playing of the Nigerian Anthem a revered, respectful and
solemn occasion and prescribes penalties for anyone who deliberately
brings contempt and ridicule to the act.He lamented that the national
anthem which “encapsulates our collective pride and patriotism, is not
backed up with any legal instrument.”

Significant bill

Currently,there is no legislature on the use of the National Anthem.

Ayogu Eze, the
senate spokesman, said the bill is very significant as it will save the
current national anthem from the fate of the initial one.

“If we have had the
bill like the one on the floor now years ago , the old anthem will
still be in existence, because if you ask me, the old one is better than
this new one.” Mr. Eze said.

Mr.Izunaso said it
is regrettable that successive past governments “either out of oversight
or lack of political will did not care about this thereby exposing our
national anthem to the vagaries or vicissitude of tomorrow.” Every
senator who spoke supported the bill. They said if passed, the bill
would help to strengthen the sense of our national identity within and
outside of Nigeria.

The bill was
referred to the senate committee on interior matters , which would hold
public hearing on it and report back to the senate, possibly before
their tenure expires in May 2011.