The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has reiterated the need for a six-year single term for a President and the state governors,  – Saying Nigeria needs to emulate Mexico.

Highlights:

• Nigeria and Mexico have a lot to learn from each other since they have a lot in common in vast territories, presidential and federal systems.
• Ekweremadu said, “The National Assembly is committed to strengthening institutions of democracy, such as state Houses of Assembly, by placing them on first line charge so that their funds are guaranteed from the consolidated revenue funds from respective states.”
• “This is to ensure they are independent of the state executives, since he who pays the piper, dictates the tune.
• “I’m aware that Mexico runs a six-year single term Presidency, known as the Sexino. This is something Nigeria will be looking at because what we are doing now has a lot of difficulties.
• “So, we are looking at the possibility of a constitutional reform that can guarantee a single term so that the money we spend in running elections and the problem of chief executives struggling and concentrating to come back, using resources and instruments of state, can be overcome.
• “We would like to hear more from you on how the single term works and whether it has been beneficial to your system so that we can also collaborate in that respect.”
• “When we are talking about devolution of power, strengthening our federalism, Mexico is a place we can look at.
• “At present, we are trying to see what we can do to empower not just states, but also the local governments, so as to strengthen our federalism. And part of the things we are looking at is to get autonomy for the local governments, such that they are able to get their funds directly from the Federal Government to special accounts created by each local government.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram