TheCable

OrderPaper.ng, an online newspaper, has announced the commencement of ConsTrack, a project aimed at ensuring robust citizens’ engagement on constituency projects done by lawmakers in the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by Titilope Fadare, programme assistant, the newspaper said the project is also targeted at bringing about the needed reforms in the area of constituency projects.

It said the project, which is supported by USAID’s strengthening advocacy and civic engagement (SACE) programme, will comprise a series of advocacy and engagement activities involving various stakeholders including national and state lawmakers and relevant government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Other stakeholders to be involved include civil society organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), the media and the general public.

“To trigger and sustain citizens’ interest, engagement of and participation in constituency projects across the country, the project intends to ultimately deploy a viable, versatile and verified authentication platform for cross sectorial interfaces along the stakeholders’ chain,” the statement read.

It quoted Oke Epia, publisher/executive director of OrderPaper.ng, as describing the initiative as timely and appropriate.

He also said the project is necessary for “inclusiveness, transparency and accountability in the implementation of the (constituency projects) scheme.

“The implementation of this project will go a long way to engender correct understanding of constituency projects as currently being deployed across senatorial districts, federal and state constituencies across the country, and ultimately trigger a nationwide appreciation of the scheme and/or an organised call for reforms.

“This ConsTrack project which is a fall-out from the outcome of the gallery colloquium on budgetary reforms held in September of 2016, satisfies our goal at OrderPaper.ng of creating appropriate people-parliament interfaces to help in the deepening of democracy and the democratisation process.

“It is our expectations that the outcomes of inclusiveness, transparency and accountability as well possible policy and administrative reforms that would accrue from the implementation of this programme would be viewed as our modest contributions to making constituency projects become veritable tools of delivering the gains of democracy in Nigeria.”