Citizens’ Watch Initiative to Track Government Promises Launched in Akwa Ibom State
By Ekemini Simon
Citizens’ Watch Initiative, an innovative digital social accountability tool designed to track the most significant promises made by government officials thus empowering citizens with the information needed to hold the government accountable and promote participatory governance has been launched.
The initiative called Governor Umo Eno Watch” (Codenamed #ENOWATCH), was launched by a consortium of three organisations, Reformers of Africa, Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Forum (AKGCODA), Clement Isong Foundation (CIF) on Friday in uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The launch marked a significant milestone in promoting government accountability and participatory governance in Akwa Ibom State.
According to organizations, the initiative was borne out of the conviction that there is no better way to enhance good governance than a fundamental citizen engagement.
The Initiative had been previously deployed in Oyo state as “Governor Seyi Makinde’s Watch” (Codenamed #GSMWATCH) and in Ekiti State as “John Kayode Fayemi’s Watch” Code named #JKFWATCH).
The launch brought together key stakeholders from civil society organisations, government agencies, and youth development groups.
#ENOWATCH, funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) under the Strategic Partnership Agreement II (SPA II), introduces a pioneering digital platform that will serve as a centralized hub for tracking promises made by Governor Umo Eno and monitoring project progress.
Highlights of the launch included presentation of the Citizens’ Report on Governor Umo Eno’s First Year in Office,unveiling of the Eno Watch Report, and live demonstration of the digital platform’s functionalities.
Elkanah Oluyori, Executive Director of the Clement Isong Foundation said that #EnoWatch promise tracker represents a significant step towards fostering constructive dialogue between the government and the governed.
He said by providing citizens with the tools to monitor promises and advocate for their fulfillment, the consortium is strengthening the foundations of democracy.
Harry Udoh, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Organizations Forum, added, “This platform will play a crucial role in enhancing public service delivery through improved government transparency and accountability. We invite all citizens to actively participate in this initiative and contribute to the development of our State.”
Mr. Oluwasegun Ajetunmobi, Programmes Manager at Reformers of Africa, the organization behind the development of the web platform powering the Citizens’ Watch, stated that they are thrilled to bring their expertise to Akwa Ibom State with the #EnoWatch.
Ajetunmobi added “Building on our successful deployments of the Governor Seyi Makinde Watch (GSMWatch) in Oyo State and the John Kayode Fayemi Watch (JKFWatch) in Ekiti State, we are confident that this platform will significantly enhance citizen engagement and government accountability in Akwa Ibom State. Our goal is to create a replicable model for transparent governance across Nigeria, and Africa”.
The digital platform employs an innovative rating system to track the progress of government promises,and ultimately rate each promise using the following metrics: Not Started: Every government promise begins at this stage. Another metrics “Ongoing”, indicates that the promise is in the works.
The metrics “Fifty/Fifty” indicates that a promise is done halfway- the promise has been partly completed, less than the official original promise. The metrics ” Against a Brick Wall” is rated when the fulfillment of a promise is being challenged or jeopardized by a legislative act, injunction or a natural disaster.
The metric “Promise Broken” is used for a promise that is not kept. The “Promise Kept” metrics indicate that a promise has been completely fulfilled.
The digital platform allows for real-time updates and provides a clear picture of the government’s performance in delivering on its commitments.
According to the launchers, the Citizens’ Watch Initiative is expected to increase citizen participation in the governance process, promote accountability among elected officials, enhance transparency in government operations, and improve the quality of public service delivery.
The address of the platform is www.thecitizenswatch.com.