IN an arrangement that may put a stop to the 2015
ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate
Committee on the Review of the Constitution has
recommended non-renewable single six year tenure
for the office of President, Vice-President, governors
and their deputies.
The Senate panel's recommendation also disqualifies
Jonathan and incumbent governors from
benefitting from the new arrangement if the
recommendation becomes law.
The PUNCH learnt on Monday that members of the
committee, who held a three-day working retreat
which ended in Lagos on Sunday, arrived at the
decision after a heated debate.
A National Assembly member who was privy to the
recommendation confided in one of our
correspondents that, "We thought hard before
arriving at this decision. We considered the current
heating up of the polity by those interested in
running for office in 2015.
"We also looked at what normally happens each time
we are about to enter into an election year.
"If the recommendation scales through, none of the
current office holders from the President down will
benefit from it.
"It is couched in such a way that if someone is
elected as Vice-President for instance and he
becomes President for the reason of the removal
from office of the President, either through ill health,
impeachment or death, he can only serve out the
term of the President even if it is just one month.
"He or she, as the case may be, will be ineligible to
present himself for election as President in
subsequent elections; the same applies to the office
of the governor and deputy governor."
The source revealed further that the committee also
recommended autonomy for local government
administrations and if the recommendation scales
through the legislative process, local government
councils will collect their monthly allocations from
the federation account.
"There is a caveat. Only local government councils
with elected council chairmen and properly
constituted councils will receive such payments," the
source added.
There is however fear that the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party and the Presidency will oppose
these recommendations.
Jonathan had in the past expressed his preference
for a seven-year single tenure for elective officers.
This he justified during his first media chat on
assumption of office.
He had said, "The issue is that in Africa, elections
create social unrest and we need to manage this. In a
situation where you elect a governor and that
governor has not sat down, another election is
around the corner.
"Every four years you conduct elections, you create
so much tension in the political environment. As we
are talking, some people are busy holding meetings
for the 2015 elections.
"It creates series of confusion in the political
environment. I am not saying that single tenure,
alone, will bring one hundred per cent stability.
"There is no political system that is one hundred per
cent stable, you must have some tension. That was
why I came up with that."
The President had also on November 17, 2011
empanelled the Justice Alfa Belgore-led committee,
officially designated as Committee to Review
Outstanding Issues from Recent Constitutional
Conferences.
The committee was mandated to identify gaps in the
current constitution and propose amendments as
adopted by previous constitutional conferences.
The committee was, however, limited in scope as it
was only required to making suggestions on issues
adopted by consensus by the previous constitutional
conferences.
The Belgore panel did not delve into the issue of
tenure as earlier proposed by the President.
Public opinion weighed heavily against the item
following fears that the President was interested in
tenure elongation.
When asked to confirm the Senate committee
recommendation, the Clerk of the Senate Committee
on Constitution Review, Mr. Innocent Mebiri, did not
deny the development but said details would be
made available to the Senate at plenary.
"Don't bother yourself, when it gets to the Senate at
plenary, you will know whether it is true or not," he
told one of our correspondents.
The report of the People's Public Sessions conducted
on the constitution by the House of Representatives
indicated that Nigerians massively supported
autonomy for local government councils.
More than 90 per cent of voters in the 360 federal
constituencies where the sessions were held
supported abolition of State/Local Government Joint
Account in order to grant financial independence to
the councils.
But, they opposed a single term of five, six or seven
years for the President, state governors and other
political office holders.
Rather, they voted in support of retaining the present
two terms of four years each.
The public sessions were held on November 10, 2012.
The results of the sessions will be incorporated into
bills on constitution amendment to be passed by the
House.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/senate-proposes-six-year-single-term-for-president-govs/

Whats the difference between this and what GEJ earlier proposed?

I think I will go with this 6yrs of 1term

good move!

Now, politicians can steal to finish and pay back 750k after six years. Good deal

There's nothin wrong with †ђξ current 2 terms,just dat politicians are not sincere.
I see dis as a plan B,by gen GEJ, since his chances in 2015 is not sure.I am a southerner,but let's b sincere,wit †ђξ kinda desperation dis man is showin,I think we wud ve done the same,as the northerners did earlier,if we were in power,eg, the kinda comment Kuku made in †ђξ house of common,wats †ђξ difference wit †ђξ comment credited 2 Buhari in 2011? Let's not decieve ourselves,all part of 9geria is power hungry

Single term of six years...of serious and massive looting.

From the point of law,this is wrong cos ; laws are not made in retrospect. In order words u do not make law to bind what is alredy done. Should the bill sail through,it ought to start counting after 2015,cos the present govt is elected under a 4 year term. Any law that does not resonate with the aggregate conscience of d society is bound to lose it's binding quality.
May I also submit that this bill will encourage corruption cos most governors ”work” in their 1st term because they would seek a re election. Where the 2nd term is abolished, elected executives will come into office,loot and leave after six years. Let us not be denied of the four Years that we can hold our elected officials accontable and pave way for six yaers of loooting!
In all, this bill is selfish,myopic and the height of legislative deception and rascality. They just want the offices to go round, kawai!

justsayemma: There's nothin wrong with †ђξ current 2 terms,just dat politicians are not sincere.
I see dis as a plan B,by gen GEJ, since his chances in 2015 is not sure.I am a southerner,but let's b sincere,wit †ђξ kinda desperation dis man is showin,I think we wud ve done the same,as the northerners did earlier,if we were in power,eg, the kinda comment Kuku made in †ђξ house of common,wats †ђξ difference wit †ђξ comment credited 2 Buhari in 2011? Let's not decieve ourselves,all part of 9geria is power hungry

They said it was to stop his 2015 ambition, yet you still lay the blame of the proposition on GEJ calling it his plan B. Some of you are so obsessed with GEJ that you cant reason very well before making comments.

"There is however fear that theruling Peoples
Democratic Party and the Presidency will oppose
these recommendations"- Punch

I recall vividly that this same Punch spearheaded the uproar that greeted this same proposal when it came from the presidency. Now how can we reconcile that position with the above quote?

When a proposal, programme or policy emanates from GEJ it is AUTOMATICALLY opposed by haters. What an irony. The same group of haters that opposed the single term proposal when it came from GEJ are now praying the presidency to accept the same proposal. Pls ask Punch and co what has changed now?

When the debate on the single tenure was on, I argued in favour of single term. I thought that would engender political stability. Unfortunately, majority shouted down the proposal.

No policy, programme or system is viewed from objective point in Nigeria. Rather it is what is in it for me, my cohorts and tribe.

Those wishing the president to accept the proposal will be terribly disappointed. Opportunity comes but once. When the opportunity came most Nigerians abandoned objectivity for emotions and sentiments. So much water has now passed under the bridge. The president MUST seek re-election.

If this amendment sails through, GEJ will definitely end his presidency by 2021.

The interpretation of barring the present occupants will only mean stopping them from ending in 2017 instead of 2015.

......watching with keen interest!

I should be in class now if not 4 ASUP strike #bigyawn

Ngwakwe: If this amendment sails through, GEJ will definite end his presidency by 2021.

The interpretation of barring the present occupants will only mean stopping them from ending in 2017 instead of 2015.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE 101.