Prof Lucas, activist fault Makinde's call for 6-year single term for president, govs


 

…it’s sound argument at present circumstances, says  Farounbi  

 

A public affairs commentator, Prof. Olabode Lucas, and an activist and former Mass Communication lecturer, Mr  Angel Folorunsho, on Sunday, faulted the six-year single-tenure proposal for the President and Governors by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

 

Makinde had made the call on Friday when Muslim faithful  paid a visit to his Ikolaba, Ibadan residence, shortly after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers, held at the Eid Ground, Agodi, Ibadan.

 

The governor had noted that a single term of five or six years would be enough for any government to focus and serve the people and deliver on its mandate, calling for a constitutional amendment to effect this.

 

Reacting to Makinde’s proposal, Lucas and  Folorunsho said it was faulty.

                     

 Folorunsho said: ‘’The premise on which Governor Seyi Makinde is asking for a single one-term five or six years for Governor and President respectively is faulty. External environment is beyond the control of national political players. What should be considered in a democracy is recruiting people of good character to power, who will be ready to adhere to the rule of law, party supremacy, discipline and sound executable ideology that can benefit the people hoisting the flag of good governance on the ground of a manageable timeline. Others may even call for a dual-executive model of the parliamentary system for effective balance of powers, lean government through restructuring of the fake federal system that has been the bane of national development’’.

 

On his part, Lucas said: ‘’The Governor has not told us why the six-year single term is better  than the present system.  To me, the present system is better because it makes the incumbent take more seriously the welfare of the people because of his fear that he would not get a second term if he performs poorly during the first term. That fear is not there in the single term system.

Having said this, I am afraid that Nigerian Politicians can pollute any political system no matter how noble the system is. I cannot trust our Politicians to operate any system efficiently.’’

 

 

 However, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, said: ‘’Given the experience that we all see in Nigeria where first-term executives at national and state levels are even spending their second year on campaign for second term,  it may be the better thing for Nigeria to opt for a single term of 6 years. Perhaps we'll get the money executives to devote their time to full governance. 

                          

‘’Some are worried about six years of poor governance, in the case of a poor executive.  They suggest a single term of five years. Whether five  or six  years single term, the argument is the same.Eliminate the diversion of time, attention and resources for pursuing a second term.  It's a sound argument in the present circumstances of prismatic Nigeria.’’

 

 

 

 

 


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