Constitution Review: ACF rejects 6-year single tenure

Lagos-Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has rejected the six year single tenure for presidents and governors, saying that the system does not only encourage corruption, but discourages performance in public office.

National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Mr Anthony Sani,  made this known in a statement in  Thursday, pointing out that this was precisely because the new system cannot further the cause of good governance.

The statement read, ”the attention of ACF has been drawn to the reported recommendations by the Senate for provision in the constitution for a single tenure of six years for presidents and governors. Such a provision would be counter productive, precisely because it cannot further the cause of good governance that goes 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 for performance.

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In the single tenure system, there are no incentives, motivation and reward that can inspire for excellent performance. And this has to do with the fact that the good, the not-so-good and the feckless leaders, are grouped together in the same hall without any distinction. Such a practice cannot deliver on good governance.

“That may explain why most countries in the world practice multiple tenure systems which enable leaders to aspire for excellence in the hope of reward by way of re-election. This is because election into first term is on the basis of hope while that for second term should be based on performance in the office. Leaders should be elected not only on the basis of hope but also on the basis of performance in the office.

”Those countries which put limit on their multiple system, like America,do so as deliberate effort to allow ingress of fresh hands into governance and leadership. That is to say,they make allowance for motivation and incentives that inspire strides for excellence and also make allowance for fresh hands in multiple tenure system.

”As to the fear of abuse of incumbency prevalent in our political cock pit, it is to be noted that countries device their own ways of curtailing such abuses, and not to sacrifice performance through killing motivation, incentives and rewards in the management of human affairs.

“While developed nations have made efforts in brain and brawn to enable their citizens make judicious use of their democratic rights to make their votes count, the developing nations are still struggling, and so try to put some mechanisms that can check abuse of incumbency.

”For example,Chile practices multiple tenure system that is not consecutive. That is to say, the constitution does not allow a president or governor of a state to conduct an election in which he is a candidate. And that was why the extremely popular president in the person of Madam Michel could not contest for the president during the last elections in Chile.

”In the alternative, Nigeria can consider the Bangladesh model which uses Care Taker Government to conduct elections. Again, this is because single tenure cannot manage for performance without incentives, motivation and reward. In the single tenure, the only motivation would be the pillage of state resources that go with unbridled access to state or national resources. Single tenure is therefore counter productive.”