Nigerians in US reject third term
Aderemi Ojikutu
of Nigerian in the diaspora as our U.S brethren mount the stage to echo
the feelings of the populace at home....read on.....
Nigerians living in the United States of America have described as
dangerous, moves to arm twist the National Assembly into passing the
tenure extension for President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Nigerians, under the aegis of the All Nigerian American Congress,
said it was better to stick to the two terms of four years tenure
provided for in the 1999 Constitution.
According to a statement on Tuesday by ANAC's President, Mr. Okey
Mbonu, there is no reason to extend the tenure of the present
government, no matter how well it has performed.
The statement said, "We have tried to make sense of this evolving
political saga from our base in far away USA, and we have compared the
Nigerian situation to other political antecedents of tenure extensions,
around the world. We see no viable reason for a sitting incumbent to be
allowed to elongate their tenure, no matter how capable that incumbent
is.
"In democracies where tenure has been extended to benefit an
incumbent, we see the beginning of descent into autocracy, because
change and new ideas have been stalled, a situation akin to the
downfall of ancient empires.
"Ancient empires tended to centralise power under a homogenous group,
and invariably excluded new thought from going into policy-making,
ultimately leading to the demise of progress, and the death of the
nation-state."
ANAC said rather than seek for tenure extension, the present government
should entrench its achievements and visions into the national psyche,
a development it believes would lead to a stabilised political economy.
The statement added, "We in ANAC believe that all Nigerians love
Nigeria dearly, regardless of our periodic idiosyncrasies. Some
Nigerians may be more financially prudent and fiscally responsible than
others, especially in our leadership styles and policies. The trait of
fiscal responsibility should always be commended. President Olusegun
Obasanjo has done his part in furtherance of our overall fiscal
responsibility, and he should be commended.
"However, our efforts as Nigerians should be geared towards
institutionalising our worthy leadership traits, not seeking ways to
stay on, so that we can be the perpetual executor of our programmes."
Mbonu said ANAC believed there were areas that required amendments in
the constitution, but that it could not see any danger if it was not
carried out at this particular time.
He added, "Rather, we see a clear and present danger if the National
Assembly is arm-twisted to pass the tenure amendment against the
people's wishes, so as to favour the current incumbent."
The body said eight years was sufficient for any good intentioned
leader to make his mark, noting that Nigerian leaders should always
groom successors in order to ensure continuity.
It said for a country as large as Nigeria, finding a leader among its
150 million people should not be difficult.
It added, ANAC hereby unequivocally states that: The saving grace of
democracy is the infusion of new ideas through change in leadership,
that change is called tenure.
"The rule of law and the constitution of the land should be adhered
to by all. An amendment should be freely acquiesced to by the people,
through their representatives.
"ANAC's position is that we must respect our prescribed tenures,
that is the way of democracy, therefore, we say no to tenure
elongation."
report by Dotun Oladipo THE PUNCH, Wednesday, May 10, 2006