Prominent national figures have continued to criticize the proposed House of Representatives bill that would impose a 10-year prison sentence on those who refuse to recite the national anthem. The Bill, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, is set for its second reading, where its general principles will be debated. In May, President Bola Tinubu signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem which was dropped by a military government in 1978. The newly re-adopted anthem, which begins “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda. The Bill “stipulates that anyone found guilty of destroying national symbols, refusing to recite the national anthem and pledge, defacing a place of worship with intent to incite violence, or undermining the Federal Government shall face a fine of N5 million, a 10-year prison sentence, or both”. The Bill also “states that anyone who sets up an illegal roadblock performs unaut...