The northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has rejected the proposal by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review of a single term of six years for the President, Vice-President, Governors and their deputies.
The ACF said the the proposal, if eventually passed, would be counter-productive.
It would be recalled that proposal was made by the Senator Ike Ekweremadu-led Senate committee. However, the panel’s recommendation also disqualified President Goodluck Jonathan and incumbent governors from benefitting from the new arrangement, if it eventually becomes law.
ACF, which made its stance known in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani on Thursday, stated that the system would encourage looting of public treasury by its beneficiaries.
The statement read, “In the single tenure, the only available incentive and motivation is pillage of public funds that goes with unbridled access to public funds by the leaders in our clime, which is counter-productive.
“It is counter-productive because it cannot further the cause of good governance that comes with purposeful leadership, especially when regard is paid to the fact that it lacks the basic elements of motivation and incentives needed in any management of human affairs.
“In the single tenure system, there are no incentives, motivation and reward for excellent performance. And this is because the good, the not-so-good and the reckless are grouped together without any distinction. Such practice cannot deliver on good management.”
ACF, which noted the existence of multiple tenure systems in most countries of the world, cited example of the United States of America which put limitation to its multiple tenure system in order to allow fresh hands get into leadership and governance.
He explained that such arrangements allowed motivation and incentives that inspired excellent performance and for fresh blood into governance in multiple tenures.
“As to the fear of abuse of incumbency prevalent in our clime, it is to be noted that countries divice their own ways of curtailing such abuses,” Sani noted.
He gave the example of Chile, which had multiple tenure that were not consecutive.
“That is to say, no candidate is allowed to conduct elections in which he is a candidate,” he said.
