In a bid to make Nigerian leaders accountable to the citizens, MakeoverNG, a non-governmental organisation has decided to apply intellectual approach to making government responsible.
Rather than the usual practice of embarking on protests which are often violent and destructive, this new approach entails the use of technology to tackle bad governance.
Petition Convener, Prof. Francis Adelade Fakoya, of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, who spoke at MakeoverNg.ORG Teleconference on Friday, said the new approach is e-petitioning, urging Nigerians to embrace it in engaging government.
According to him, the NGO is planning to collect up to 2.5 million e-signatures to be submitted to the National Assembly with a demand that it should be a constitutional duty of the executive to be accountable to the people.
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He said the group has built a platform and will connect with people on the social media and drive them to sign onto the petition.
This, he said, will be handed over to the committee on ethics in the National Assembly with a view to passing the law to make the executive accountable to Nigerians.
He said that it is important for those in government to give feedback to the people but noted that attempts by the public to engage the government through protest had led to violence with government unleashing the law enforcement officials on the people.
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According to him, the people in power are there as a result of the will of the people. But people should engage the rule of law in making them accountable.
He said, “Those in government should give feedback. Nigerians deserve to get feedback from the executive, they are given power and people have the right to ask how they use the power.
“We want the National Assembly to legislate this. There should be a law that will make the executive to be answerable to the people. This is not a favour but the people have a right to know.
“So we are using electronic means to gather 2.5million signatures and we will submit this to the National Assembly to make this a constitutional duty of the executive,” he said.
He explained that the NGO intends to charge the current generation of Nigerians to bequeath a better Nigeria to Nigerians’ children and grandchildren.
“Our vision is the emergence of a Nigeria, governed by the needs of the people through the rule of law with a mission of enabling and involving the Nigerian people in the governance of their state,” he said.
The group is working with the Vice Chancellor of Trinity University, Prof. Charles Ayo, who is the Chief of Promotions.
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Speaking at the teleconference, Prof Ayo said the project is a product of a robust town and gown collaboration between the academics and industry.
Ayo explained that the petition convener saw the need to make use of his research works on e-governance, noting that this is a good development as research projects should not be on the shelves but implemented.
According to him, ICT is a panacea for the eradication of poverty in the world as emphasised at the turn of the millennium by world leaders that gathered in Geneva in 2000 with the aim of achieving the SDGs. He noted the growing need for collaboration and innovation.
“Nigeria signed on to the Open Government Initiative which is expected to foster transparency. Nigeria joined as the 70th member in 2006,”but he observed that as of now, nothing is engaging, open or participatory in governance.
“Violence never brings permanent peace. We need intellectual approach to making government responsible. The endless strike by ASUU shouldn’t be there if government engages the people. But government acts as if they have absolute knowledge of people’s problems.
“People should be given consideration before legislatures are passed. Take people into consideration when issues concerning them are discussed,” he said.
He said the NGO has secured the partnership of the National Association of Students and the National Youth Council of Nigeria, adding that with e-petitioning, it will not be business as usual again in the country.
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