approved the second reading of a bill seeking to
impose N100,000 fine on anyone who abuses the
country’s national flag.
During plenary, sponsor of the bill, Rep. Sam
Onuigbo (Abia-PDP), in the debate, said the bill
sought to amend Flag and Coat of Arms Act
2004 and would make further provisions to
preserve the country’s national heritage.
Before making this known, he lamented the high
rate of abuse which the national flag is being
subjected to, and urged the House to do
everything possible to preserve it.
He said there had been surreptitious effort to
change the national flag as many public and
private offices constructed the Coat-of Arms on
it.
Onuigbo said that the offices even included
official photographs of governors, ministers, and
even national assembly members in the designs.
His words: “It is important to declare that
any addition, subtraction or super imposition
outside the version designed by Pa Michael
Akinkunmi in 1959 is not the Nigerian flag.”
“Section 10 of the Principal Act is being
amended by removing the fine of N100 and
replacing same with N100,000,” he said,
adding that ‘‘also any person who flies or
exhibits the national flag which is
deconstructed, thereby creating an impression
of using the national flag, where actually the
flag is deconstructed shall be guilty of an
offence against the Act.
‘‘Similarly, any person who uses the national
coat and inserts same into the national flag
thereby creating an illegal form of our
national flag shall be guilty of an offence
against this act.’’
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