Nigeria, Jan. 3 -- The ruckus over a new (which is in fact old) National Anthem has subsided. And as with many other things, Nigerians have moved on. We always do.

For those of us who were in school in the 1960s and 70s, "Nigeria We Hail Thee" was the staple we fed on. It was our very beloved National Anthem. Melodious and inspiring. We felt like doing anything, going anywhere for the country whenever we sang it, as young as we were.

But in 1978, they said we were changing to a new Anthem. "Arise o Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey." I was a Class Three student in secondary school then, and willy-nilly, had to learn the new one. I didn't feel it was as good as the former one, but they mouthed things like patriotism, and having a home gro...