By joshua Singing Of Old National Anthem : Jarret Tenebe Set To Go To Court
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin city
The Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Emperor Jarret Tenenbe, has called on the Inspector General of Police to caution Nigerians who still sing the old national anthem, Arise O Compatriots, at public gatherings, as well as protests to stop acts capable of inciting public violence, as this is against compliance to protocol.
Tenebe said it is an offence for anyone to be singing the old National Anthem which has been repelled by the President.
President Bola Tinubu, on the 29th of May, 2024, signed a law replacing Arise O Compatriots as the official anthem, reinstating Nigeria’s original national anthem, Nigeria We Hail Thee.
The approval came after fulfilling constitutional requirements to enact the legislation. The act claims to restore the anthem first adopted at Nigeria’s independence on the 1st of October, 1960, which was replaced in 1978 by former president Olusegun Obasanjo during military regime.
Tenebe stated this while speaking via Zoom with the TVC in an interview .
According to him, ” Some weeks ago, Dino Melaye, in protest to the INEC, gathered a crowd of ADC party faithful and was singing the old national anthem. And the ADC, in their meeting, where all their leaders attended in Ibadan, also did the same thing by singing the old national anthem. He stated.
He added that, singing the old national anthem, naturally, is not any crime, but it may become an offense if playing it and you now use it to incite public order and try to cause division within the country. It may become an offense in that regard, and it brings about a public order issue. And in that way, if it comes to public order, it’s seditious and it’s a criminal offense.
“And there are consequences with regard to that. So that’s the reason why the first thing is to write to the authorities that are charged with the responsibility to take action. And within seven days, if they are unable to do it, then we cannot be asking for action of Magnanimous to compare them to do it.
He stated further that, the first step is what I’ve just done by writing to the IG, the DSS, and also to INEC to take notice of it. So that’s what we have just done. That is the first step.
The second step is to go to court and get action of Magnanimous to compare them to carry out action as regard the consequences that it’s supposed to attract. So talking about action, I would like you to explain the implications to us. Just in case Nigerians fail to comply, what are the consequences? The consequences, the consequences are if it’s an individual, it attracts a two years imprisonment.
Adding that, if it is a political party in the context of a political party, it amounts to deregistration and also no recognition of such a political party. Because the action, if they send it in the context of causing disunity and inciting people, then the consequences are what I’ve just told you. With all that’s happening in the country at the moment with regards to insecurity and economic hardship, why do you think that singing that anthem at gathering should be a priority to Nigerians at this time?
The state chairman added further, “that is exactly what we are saying because you can naturally sing the national anthem, but if you are singing it, the old national anthem, which is at law, if you are singing it in that context of inciting the public, which is what they have just done, which is what Meliah did, and also a political party in ADC also using it to incite the public and cause division in the country, that is the consequence.” He stated
“And there is law governing this country. It’s not a lawless country. And anybody who infringes on the law, the consequences are spelled out also in the law. Thank you. It will be a good place to rest this discussion.” He concluded.