Chinedu Eze
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has repudiated those that attempt to justify the singing of outdated nationwide anthem by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by saying that All Progressives Congress (APC) additionally sing ‘On Our Mandate’, insisting that Senator Seriake Dickson led celebration was flawed, in spite of everything.
On Thursday, November 12, NDC held townhall assembly on the Classic Event Centre, Oregun Ikeja, Lagos, the place outdated nationwide anthem was sung as an alternative of the brand new; though celebration members claimed that the brand new nationwide anthem was sang later.
However, Keyamo, in his verified X (Twitter) account insisted that NDC was flawed and rejected the try to justify their motion by the NDC celebration members, saying that APC additionally sing ‘On Our Mandate’.
The Minister defined, “Let me educate some mischievous individuals who attempt to equate singing the in your mandate track, which is used to serenade President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with singing an outlawed anthem in place of a legally authorized National Anthem.
“At no time have supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sung on your mandate in place of the National Anthem. At every occasion, the National Anthem is always sung as a mark of recognition of one of our most important national symbols, and then the President is serenaded by his supporters with on your mandate.”
He stated that no person stops Peter Obi from adopting a track, even the outdated anthem, as his personal track. But it should be sung both earlier than or after the legally recognised National Anthem is given its due recognition.
“Again, as part of presidential protocol, whenever the President walks into an event or gets up to speak, the Police Band usually plays any instrumental to herald his presence or speech. They simply choose anyone they fancy. Check all videos of Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan or Buhari entering the National Assembly or getting up to speak. It must be preceded by an instrumental from the Police Band. In this case, the Police Band sometimes plays the on your mandate instrumental to herald the President’s speech. This comes after the national anthem has been played,” he stated.
Keyamo additionally famous that many states in Nigeria as we speak have their very own anthem, however it’s all the time sung after the National Anthem has been rendered.
“Singing an outlawed anthem in place of a legally approved national anthem by the NDC is surely an expression of a desire to have a separate country, and that is an ingredient of a secessionist group,” Keyamo insisted.
