Nigeria’s national flag: Object of ignorance, neglect

Did you know that the national flag should not be left outside beyond 6pm? The National flag should be hoisted and flown ceremoniously and briskly at 6am and lowered slowly in the same manner by 6pm everyday.

Nigeria’s flag was first officially hoisted at 12am on October 1, 1960. This fact is clearly stated on Nigeria’s website. However, Saturday PUNCH discovered that many young and old Nigerians were totally ignorant of it, while others saw no need for it.

Military and para-military outfits observe this rule. As a routine, every morning and evening, men are detailed to perform the function in a silent drill, aided by coded sounds from a beagle.

Mr. Peter Olorunsheyi, who served in the Nigerian Army for 19 years, relived memories of this daily routine.

He said, “We hoist the flag and lower it seven days a week. It is a standard practice in the military. The soldiers detailed to lower the national and unit flags do so simultaneously as the beagle blower provides a coded guide. The flag is folded and kept respectfully till the next day.

“The sun must not set on the national flag. Once the flag is lowered, it is no longer binding on you to greet your superior with a salute because what we salute is the flag. You have to greet your officer, but you are not expected to salute him then.”

Olorunsheyi regretted that the same honour was not being accorded the national flag by civilians because many of them were ignorant of the demand and its significance.

Saturday PUNCH discovered that even workers in government agencies, ministries and parastatals were not aware that the flag should be lowered every evening.

When asked if she was aware that the flag should be hoisted in the morning and lowered in the evening, the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority, Hajia Inna Ciroma, said she was not aware of that. She, however, complained about the different shades of green colour that some people use to make the flag.

Laughing, she said, “Why are you putting me on the spot? I am not aware of that and I think the National Orientation Agency should do more enlightenment about the flag. Some come in different shapes and shades of green colours.”

The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Sam Amadi, said he knew that soldiers did that at the Eagle Square in Abuja, but was not aware that corporate organisations should do so too. He also sought to know the relevance of the practice.

The President and Chairman of Council, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Lugard Aimiuwu, said he was aware from his school days that the flag should be so treated. He, however, said that the NIMN could not practise it because it was still occupying a rented property.

He said, “As a former human resource director at Unilever, I can confirm to you that the security men lowered the flag everyday and hoisted it as expected. It is still being practised today. But even if most people are aware, they may not be really encouraged to display national pride. So many things are wrong in the country. The required show of true patriotism must start from our political leaders.”

A primary school pupil, who attends Kingdom Heritage Model School, said he was taught in Civic Education that the flag should be lowered in the evening everyday. He, however, said that the flag in her school always remained hoisted.

Mr. Akin Lawson, a director of Alaba Group of Schools, said that it was mandatory for his schools to lower the flag in the evening and hoist it again in the morning.

“Man-o-War officials do that everyday here. And when there is a national tragedy, we fly all flags at half-mast,” he said.

A member of the National Youth Service Corps in Lagos, Miss Tope Ayodele, said that she observed that the national flag was usually lowered every evening, but had no idea of its significance.

The Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Credit Administration, Chris Onalo, said he was not aware that the flag in corporate environments should also be lowered in the evenings. He chided the government for its insensitivity to the plight of the electorate, which he said, had dampened the morale of the average citizen.

“It is not something that people can be forced to do. What is a Nigerian proud of? The country must be projected to have a true place of pride,” he said.

A branch manager of First Bank Nigeria Plc, who craved anonymity, said she was not aware that the flag should be lowered in the evenings. She, however, said that the management frowned at any manager who left the flag in a dirty or mutilated state.

She said, “If a senior management person visits your branch and finds the flag dirty or torn, the branch manager will be queried. If the person is found wanting for the same reason twice, he or she could get sacked. It is as serious as that. “I cannot confirm that the flag is lowered every day.”

An employee of Guaranty Trust Bank, told Saturday PUNCH that the security men at the bank’s branches have a standing order to hoist the national flag in the morning and lower it in the evening.

“That has been the practice here for years, although I don’t know the significance of the practice,” he said.

An employee of Leventis Plc Who also craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, told Saturday PUNCH that he wasn’t aware that the flag should be lowered in the evening.

He said, “We have the flag here but I don’t see it being lowered everyday. What I know is that the flag is changed regularly to avoid it being seen dirty.”

On the relevance of the practice of lowering and hoisting the flag, the Chief Press Secretary to the Director-General, NOA, Mr. Paul Odenyi, said, “The national flag is forbidden to be in darkness. If it must be left outside for the night, light must be beamed on it.”

He said that it was binding on all public and private organisations to hoist the flag in the morning and lower it in the evening. He, however, agreed that more persuasive enlightenment still needed to be done by the NOA as most people were not aware of the details about the flag.

He said, “Already, our officials have been going to organisations to educate them on how the flag should be hoisted because it is a national symbol. Where we find out that the flag is not properly hoisted, we put them through. “But many people don’t even see the import as there have been cases when our officials were chased out of such places. The NOA is just waking up to its call and we are committed to this cause, it’s a matter of time.”

On the issue of penalty for improper treatment of the national flag, Paul said, there was need for an amendment.

“The NOA has called for an amendment of the law guiding the treatment of the national flag. The penalty stipulated for improper handling is two pounds, which is not relevant to today’s currency in Nigeria. Corporate institutions are expected to put up our flag. It is an offence to remove it entirely,” he said.

Meanwhile, a tour round areas where some blue chip companies were cited in Ikeja, showed that many companies flouted other flag laws without realising it. Among other things, the national flag law stipulates that it must not be dirty, torn or flown at par with other flags. It must also not be loosely hoisted.

However, as at Wednesday, the national flag at the national secretariat of the All Progressive Congress, Ikeja, was hanging loosely. The national flag at Guinness Plc brewery, Ogba industrial area was dirty, while the national flag at Lasaco Assurance building on Acme Road was mutilated. The Nigeria flag at Berger Paint Plc and Dangote Agro Sack Limited on Oba Akran Road, Ikeja were dirty.

Meanwhile, it was observed that the flags at Zenith Bank on Agidingbi Road, Mind Builders School and Hallmark School, Ikeja, were neat and but hoisted at par with their organisations’ flags.

In three days’ time, it will be Nigeria’s 53rd Independence’s Day anniversary. Expectedly, President Goodluck Jonathan will lead Nigerians on the work-free day to mark the anniversary with some official ceremonies. Many Nigerians believe it is a day to celebrate nationhood, review the prospect of its sovereignty and cherish symbols representing its identity.

The national flag is one of such symbols but Saturday PUNCH’s investigation showed that there is more to hoisting the national flag than many know, thus subjecting the symbol of national pride to ignominy.

 Facts on national flag

•Rarely should the flag be used horizontally or laid flat. In a case when it is placed over a casket, a licence must be granted by the government.

•The flag should fly at the peak of the hoist, except on memorial days or during state funerals as a mark of respect, when it is flown at half-mast.

•When in a room or hung anywhere, no other flag, emblem or insignia should be placed higher than it.

•When the flag is carried in a procession, the carrier should be neatly and properly dressed and must be placed in front.

•When there are two flags and the second flag is not a national flag, the national flag should be in front.

•When other flags are carried along in a procession, the national flag should be in front and at the centre of all other flags in the procession.

•For an audience in auditorium or hall, the flag should be on the right end of the first row.

•For a speaker on the platform, the national flag should be on the speaker’s right hand as he faces the audience. Other flags can be on the left and take their position sideways both left and right.

•Whenever a group of flags are displayed, the Nigerian flag should be at the centre and placed higher than the others.

•Only cars of special dignitaries are allowed to use the flag. Where permitted, the flag should be mounted on the radiator cap or attached to the right fender of the vehicle chassis of key government officials.

source: www.nigeria.gov.ng