A rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Deji Adeyanju,
on Thursday, accused the National Assembly of trying to entertain President
Bola Tinubu and being a stumbling block to Nigerians.
On Wednesday, Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024,
into law to reinstate the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
Reacting, Adeyanju wondered how the reintroduction of the old
national anthem would salvage the current economic situation in the country.
Speaking with Dailypost, Adeyanju said: “These guys at the
National Assembly are overfed and they just want to entertain the president;
that’s why they are doing things like this. Nigerians are hungry; we have an
economic crisis in the country, inflation is at a record high, and two students
of Confluence University in Lokoja were just brutally murdered while others are
still in kidnappers’ den; yet, they can’t find it worthy of calling the
parents.
“The American President would have called the parents, the
leadership of the senate would have held a minute silence for the murdered
students, but no, what we have here is misplaced priorities.
“What’s this old national anthem about? Is that the problem
of Nigeria? Will that affect the price of Garri in the market? Parents can’t
afford to buy Indomie for their children, Garri is becoming a luxurious item
for the poor and you are talking about the old national anthem. Nigerians are
so hungry.
“The old national anthem is long and you are now bringing
another one that is longer, is that the current situation in the country right
now with the level of insecurity? Over 400 students were kidnapped in Zamfara
and you are talking about the old national anthem.”
The rights activist accused Nigerian leaders of being aloof
because there is no emergency that would warrant an emergency to revert to the
old national anthem.
“Our leaders are completely aloof, they behave as if they
are in space, they are completely lost in affluence, lost in the alternative
universe because I can’t understand what is going on. There is no emergency for
us to change the national anthem.
“If this National Assembly is a rubberstamp, it’s even
better, this current NASS is a major stumbling block to Nigerians because
people were expecting that the president will rejig his cabinet; change Adelabu
who is the Minister of Darkness, sack the GMD of NNPC, do something
progressive, sack CBN governor, sack Minister of Finance and put somebody
competent, sack the Minister of Agric and put somebody competent, now look at
what he has done. He changed the national anthem,” he said.
Adeyanju said Tinubu’s assent to the National Anthem bill
was part of the reasons Nigerians should not vote for conventional politicians
during elections.
“Right now, all hope looks like it’s almost lost; Nigerians
must stop voting for conventional politicians; they will only come and play to
the gallery. A nation that borrows to live large is not a viable nation. We
don’t need a bi-cameral legislation. Nigeria needs urgent reform, the ruling
elites don’t see anything urgent about the country so if when you proffer
solutions, you are just wasting your time; they are leaving in a bubble and
alternate universe.
“I hope that when the election comes around, Nigerians will
abandon politicians and go for those who actually carry out holistic and
surgical repairs for the nation,” he added.
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