However, General Olusegun Obasanjo did not change the lyrics of the National Pledge which was created by Professor (Mrs) Felicia Adebola Adedoyin in 1976. Professor Adedoyin who was born on November 6, 1938 is the second of six children and a princess from the Iji ruling house of Shaki in Shaki West Local Government of Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.

Her children were already acquainted with reciting the Oath of Allegiance in their school in New York, USA and also the State Pledge (Which was introduced on June 1, 1976) in Achimotu School in Accra Ghana.

Instinctively, out of childhood inquisitiveness and assertiveness, they sought to know why they didn’t recite any Pledge while they were in Nigeria. Of course their mother told them the home truth; their fatherland had no National Pledge. They eventually provided the necessary challenge that propelled their mother to conceive and originate a National Pledge for Nigeria, which she achieved in June 1976.

Her creative work while aged 38, was featured in the Daily Times of July 15, 1976 in an article titled “Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge”. Barrister Adewusi who was a mutual friend of the Adedoyins and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, read the Daily Times article and eventually presented it to General Obasanjo in August 1976.

Gen. Obasanjo, who was then Head of State, accepted the work and modified it.
In September 1976, he decreed that all school children should recite the Pledge in their assemblies daily. Gen. Obasanjo acknowledged this in his book “Not My Will” (1990 at pg. 118).

On May 23, the House of Representatives passed a Private Member Bill to revert to the old National Anthem. The Bill quickly passed first, second and third reading within minutes. It was unprecedented. The lead debate for a return to the old anthem by the House Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, pointed to the need for Nigerians to see the anthem as a national symbol and sign of authority, one which does not deny the realities.

On May 28, the Senate passed the same Bill into Law. It was introduced by the majority Leader in the Senate, Senator Michael Bamidele Opeyemi (60) from Ibedoyin quarters Ward B, Iyin Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area (Araromi LCDA) of Ekiti State. At present he is representing Ekiti Central in the Senate.

Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has always been his Godfather. He made him a Commissioner in Lagos state and he has always piloted his political career till date.

His 406-page book titled “Leadership through commmunications”, in two volumes with ten chapters, is a good read.The man who hurled a flaming spear into a hornets’ nest by sponsoring the bill on National Anthem is Professor Oluwakayode Julius Ihonvbere (68), a man who is always on the move. He is representing Uzebba in Owan Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Uzebba is a Town in the Owan local council of Edo State. Uzebba, along with its neighbouring towns and villages, Avboisi, Okpuje, Ukhuse-Osi, Ukhuse-Oke in Owan, Etsakor, and Akoko Edo, are known as Afemai. They collectively make up Edo-North Senatorial District.

Uzebba is the last border post between Edo state and Ondo state. A long bridge separates Uzebba in Edo state and Ifon in Ondo state. The last time I passed through that road in 2006 was when I attended the funeral of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Gray Adetokunbo Eromose Longe, who served as SGF between January 1 1984 and January 11 1986, at Sabongida Ora.

Owan has produced eminent sons and daughters including Frank Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Grace Alele-Williams, Francis Abiola Irele, Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga,Mai Atafo Yisa Braimoh, Michael Imoudu, Dele Momodu, DJ Neptune, Aize Obayan, J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Modupe Ozolua, Mabel Segun, Ambrose Vanzekin and others.

Professor Ihonvbere was born in the ancient city of Oyo in Oyo state. He attended CMS Primary School in Oyo, St. John’s CAC School, Warri, and Edo Boys High School in Ugbowo, Benin City, where he obtained the West African School Certificate. He took his B.A. Combined Honors degree in history and political science from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).

He is a disciple of Professor Claude Ake (February 18, 1939-November 7, 1996) from Omoku in Rivers State, the famous novelist who died in a plane crash. Professor Ihonvbare is also very close to Mr. Patrick Ayodele Aderinwale, executive director Leadership Forum in Ota, Ogun state, who is equally close to former President Obasanjo. He was one of the speech writers of the former President. The two others were Mr. Ad’Obe Obe and Dr. Stanley Macebuh, who died on March 7, 2010 at 67.

In The Villa then, the speech writers were designated as special advisers to the President on Policy and Programmes Monitoring. While Mr. Ad’Obe Obe published a book “A new dawn” in three volumes, Professor Ihonvbere published “Standing tall”. In a foreword to the book, which was published in March 2005, he declared “Politics is more than just elections, counting the votes and being sworn into office. To be sure, these aspects of politics are important. However, in developing social formations, politics should and must be about people, community and society. Politics must reflect the basic elements of service, mobilisation, education, inclusion, and healthy competition for power. It must be about platforms and programmes as well as training for new leaders. Politics must be an opportunity for the marginalised and voiceless to reach some accommodation with their leaders and for political parties to identify, select and present the best candidates for political office. Electioneering campaigns, through ultimately about the contestation for power, should be about health rivalry, articulation, processing and delivery of realistic and sustainable programmes that will impact on and improve the lives of the majority.

Finally, politics, in plural societies like Nigeria, must be about opportunities to construct and nurture bridges between not just the islands of integrity but also between communities and constituencies.

Unfortunately for many countries, they never go near these attributes or features of politics. Political opportunities are simply squandered on the altar of political greed and rascality, policy indiscipline, intolerance, limited vision, and the subversion of a sense of a nation. The net result, quite often include the delegitimation of the state, its institutions and custodians, the reification and abuse of power, misplaced priorities, instability, corruption, and uncertainty. The implications of these trends and tendencies are very well known to many Nigerians as have gone down this path before.
To be continued tomorrow.
Teniola, a former Director at the Presidency wrote from Lagos.