Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has urged the National Assembly to consult widely before passing the bill seeking the return of the old National Anthem.
The Minister said this, at a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in Abuja.
Fagbemi urged the two chambers of the National Assembly to allow inputs from Nigerians before passing taking a decision on the bill.
He said that for most African countries, the national anthem symbolised the end of colonialism.
Fagbemi said that a national anthem was meant to reflect the people’s hopes, values and history.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, recommended that the scope should be expanded to include a robust issue on national identity rather than limiting it to change of national anthem.
