Six-year single term proposal requires approval –Speaker

[Mirror]

The six-year single term proposal recommended for President and governors in the constitution by the Senate will have to be approved by two-third resolutions in the state Houses of Assembly before such can come into effect.

Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Rasak Atunwa, said this in Ilorin while answering questions from journalists on the second year anniversary of his tenure and the state's seventh legislature.

Atunwa, however, said that it is improper, for instance, to apply the section of the recommendation that says a vice-president or deputy governor that completes the tenure of his principal will be disqualified from contesting another election.

The Speaker said the position of the constitution on the rights of individuals to contest elections should not be tampered with, pleading that while attempting to amend the constitution, caution should be taken as well.

Also, Atunwa disagreed with the practice in the country that discriminates against fellow Nigerians from exercising their rights in a place they were born or have lived for years because their biological parents are not indigenes of that place.

He described the practice as a vice that would do the country no good, pointing out that what the country needs is to establish that such people are Nigerians that had been in a place for a period of time and are qualified to serve the people.

National Mirror