The guests at the event refused for the American anthem to be sung before the Nigerian anthem.
There
was a mild drama on Tuesday at the 18th Annual Thisday Awards held in
Abeokuta,the Ogun State capital, as guests at the ceremony kicked
against singing the American National Anthem before the Nigerian
anthem.
Guests were already seated whenthe award organiser, Nduka
Obaigbena, publisher of Thisday Newspapers ; and the Ogun State
Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; ushered in Bill Clinton , former American
President. After that, the Master of Ceremony announced that the
American Anthem will be sung followed by the Nigerian anthem.
In
swift response to the announcement, there was a spontaneous, and
overwhelming resistance from the guests, who vehemently kicked against
the arrangement, insisting that such arrangement was insulting to
Nigeria and her citizens.
The guests, many who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES
after the event, argued that in Nigeria, the country’s anthem should be
sungfirst and that in America, one should expect the Americans anthem
to take priority.
They demanded a reversal of the arrangement.
A
change was effected. The Nigeria national anthem was sung, followed by
Ogun State anthem while the American anthem was eventually dropped.
The
ceremony was in celebration of Nigeria’s best teachers and fifteen
teachers were honoured at the event. It was organised by Mr. Obaigbena’s
Thisday Newspapers and held in the OgunState capital.
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