6 years Single Term Will Grow Nigeria's Democracy- Dino Melaye

The proposed six-year single tenure for the president and state governors can be a boost to Nigeria’s evolving democracy, former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr Dino Melaye, said.

Melaye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday that his group, Anti-corruption Network, had made recommendations to the Constitution Review Committee on vital issues that needed to be addressed, including an uninterrupted six-year single tenure for the president and the governors.

 “I also do completely subscribe to the six-year single term of governors and the president once those in power will not be beneficiaries.

 “Most of these governors try to perform minimally in the first term but if you have a six-year single term and there is no distraction, then it will help our democracy.``

He appealed to members of the National Assembly to come up with a constitution that would be fair in addressing the plight of the common man as well as check the spate of corruption in the polity.

Melaye said that the issue of local government autonomy needed not to be negotiable, adding that that tier of government had suffered much neglect.

``We believe in 100 per cent autonomy for our local governments and we believe that should also be taken care of in the Constitution. The centre is too powerful.

``The powers of the President to appoint the EFCC Chairman, the ICPC Chairman, the INEC Chairman and the Code of Conduct Bureau should be vested in the National Judicial Council who will make recommendations to the Council of States.

``That will bring fairness, reduction in our corruption and enhance our anti-corruption fight as a nation.``

He said that the removal of the immunity clause in the Constitution would be another milestone in the fight against corruption, adding that those in authority needed not be afraid of such move.

 “Except you plan to perpetrate corruption or atrocity you should not be afraid,” Melaye said. (NAN)

http://leadership.ng/news/170613/6-yr-single-term-will-grow-nigerias-democracy-says-melaye