Single term enough for political office holders to make impact — Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has joined calls for a single term for political office holders.

He argued that with such, political officeholders will focus on achieving all they set out to without thinking of a second term.

Speaking, Makinde said he was not keen on a second term thinking that what was imperative was for him to make an impact within the time he had in office.

He particularly said he felt that a five or six-year single term was enough to make an impact.

Makinde stated this on Tuesday, at a dinner in honour of the National Executive of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), to flag off its retreat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He said: “Here in Nigeria, every four years, just like most democracies around the world, we come together as a nation to choose our leaders and I also listened to our Baba, the National President of PFN, he said the leadership of PFN has just finished the first half of its tenure.

“I just learnt that there is no second term in PFN.

“Maybe, we need to learn one or two things from that arrangement for our nation.

“I am a supporter of a single-term structure. As a matter of fact, I didn’t want a second term and I told the fathers of faith that four years may not be long enough to do everything that you want to do, but it’s long enough to make your own impact and go your own way.

“But maybe, if we have the opportunity to discuss this, I think a five or six-year single term will really be enough for most of us to do whatever it is that we are supposed to do.”

He called on Christians to make conscious efforts to participate in politics so that the ones considered unfit by the majority would not continue to make decisions for the majority of the people.

Speaking further, Makinde called on Nigerians to pray for those in positions of authority, stating that politics is over and that it is now time for governance.

The governor held that governance must be about the interest and wellness of the country, and called for prayers for those in positions of authority.

“Political parties will come and go, but our country will remain. We must pray for those in authority. Politics is over, it’s time for governance.

“These leaders God has asked us to pray for our products of who the political parties present to us. And these leaders have been chosen, we are obligated to pray for them and work with them.

“Well, if we don’t like those in authority, what should we do? We have another opportunity in another four years to vote again,” Makinde added.

Earlier in his address, the National President of PFN, Bishop Wale Oke, said the retreat came at a very critical time in the nation’s history, with the country having just gone through a general election that shook the nation to its foundation and almost pitched Nigerians against one another.

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• Press Time Podcast: Soft Skills, Opportunities and things in-between

• Niger: Another gamble by the Giant of Africa?

• Press Time Poscast: Navigating Toxicity As An Employee

• VIDEO: NGO Founder, Omodolapo, urges women to join women communities

• I broke my leg on set of Jagun Jagun movie —Adedimeji Lateef

• FLICKERS: Obi, Atiku, Tinubu: Judgment day beckons

• EDITORIAL: Nigeria’s FIFA shame