By Jerrywright Ukwu.
– Two Civil Society Organisations are collaborating to ensure candidates in the 2019 general elections commit to adoption of e-governance – The CSOs stated that their aim is to promote institutional framework and approaches to anti-corruption and transparency efforts – They called on those contesting the 2019 elections and the incumbents to commit to and adopt e-governance Two Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Paradigm Initiative and Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), are collaborating to ensure candidates in the 2019 general elections commit to adoption of e-governance. This was revealed by Paradigm Initiative’s program manager; Mr Adegoke Adeboye and CITAD’s communication officer; Ms Salma Abdulwaheed, during an interactive session with journalists on Tuesday, December 4. They stated that their aim is to promote institutional framework and approaches to anti-corruption and transparency efforts, especially as Nigeria prepares for the 2019 elections.
“As part of our work and advocacy for an open internet, we are supporting efforts at institutionalizing accountability, transparency and the fight against corruption through the positive adoption of technology by government institutions in service delivery. “Riding on the momentum of upcoming elections, we are pushing for the commitment to and adoption of e-governance frameworks by politicians and public office holders on the subject of accountability and anti-corruption. “The central theme of our advocacy is to bring attention to the subject of e-governance as an effective and veritable tool for anti-corruption and transparency efforts in Nigeria. “We are calling on those contesting the 2019 elections and the incumbents to commit to and adopt e-governance in order to foster transparency and accountability,†Adeboye said. He further stated that the positive use of technology, “is an effective solution to the plague of corruption that has far ravaged this nation.†On her part, Abdulwaheed lamented the non-cooperation of political parties in getting involved in the conversation surrounding e-governance. She noted that many of the parties, especially the major ones, shy away from committing or even engaging CSOs in promoting their anti-corruption efforts. Paradigm Initiative is a social enterprise that builds an ICT enabled system and advocate digital rights in Nigeria, believing very strongly in the positives of technology and the roles it plays in economic prosperity, strengthening political participation and deepening governance. CITAD is a non-governmental and non-profit organization committed to the use of information and communication technologies for development and promotion of good governance. It sees technology as tool to promote sustainable development, good government and peaceful coexistence.
Meanwhile, a new initiative, DOS support group, arrow headed by a group of young professionals have been designed to seek the democratization of campaign funding while ensuring a level playing field for all candidates irrespective of party lines and ideological leanings ahead of the 2019 general elections.
