Nigeria’s House of Representatives has proposed a new legislation, the Counter Subversion Bill 2024, which seeks to enforce severe penalties on citizens who fail to recite the national anthem.
The bill stipulates that individuals found guilty of refusing to recite the anthem will face a fine of ₦5 million, a 10-year jail term, or both penalties.
Additionally, the proposed law imposes the same punishment on those who vandalize national symbols or places of worship, aiming to curb acts of subversion and promote national unity.
The Counter Subversion Bill 2024, sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, is scheduled for its second reading, where the general principles will be debated.
Part of the bill proposes severe penalties for various offenses, including setting up illegal roadblocks, performing unauthorized traffic duties, imposing illegal curfews, or organizing unlawful processions which would incur a ₦2 million fine, five years in prison, or both.
Also forcefully taking over public or private places attracts a ₦5 million fine, a 10-year prison sentence, or both. Finally, professing loyalty to an organization that disregards Nigeria’s sovereignty incurs a ₦3 million fine, four years in prison, or both.
This bill comes after President Bola Tinubu signed a law in May reintroducing Nigeria’s old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which was dropped in 1978. Some citizens, including Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, have refused to acknowledge the new anthem, sparking debate.