While discussing the issue of the cost of training legislators on Channels Television, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, a senator elect representing the Ebonyi EastSenatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, suggested that senators and members of the House of Representatives be given a fixed three-term tenure of 12 years to reduce the expense of educating new entrants into the assembly on legislative processes.
He also advocated setting a 70-year-old retirement age for members of the National Assembly’s upper and lower houses.
He proposed that the terms of politicians should also be set, particularly if they have not served their voters’ needs.
In his words;
“The tenures of the executives are fixed, the tenures of the legislators are not fixed. And you have to ask yourself, have we really benefited by not fixing the tenures of legislators?
“You have to be able to show that they (constituents) are part of that government by allowing projects, even the projects of the Federal Government. It could be done in the name of the Federal Government by that legislator that is representing that comstituency. And when they don’t see anything, that’s how they vote another person. And you know our country, they love change, they love change so much. But there is nobody that is perfect in the ways of doing things.
“But I will suggest strongly that the tenures of legislators should be fixed, and there should be also age limits for legislators. You can give them three tenures, three tenures of four years. Age limit of 70 years will be good.”
“It’s a place that they want to put the experiences they acquired over the years in the governance of their states to move the nation forward.”
