December 21, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, presided over a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
But before the meeting commenced, President Buhari launched a project monitoring website (www.eyemark.ng) along with its application, codenamed ‘Eyemark’.
The President noted that the federal government could no longer depend on its handful of Monitoring and Evaluation teams to oversee the vast number of infrastructure projects spread nationwide.
He said, given that his regime has invested in infrastructure projects more than any other before, it is only fitting to create adequate avenues for close monitoring by citizens.
The President, who said the website along with the app will close the existing gaps and promote citizens’ participation in governance, blamed the spate of corruption on the poor implementation of infrastructure projects across the country.
With Eyemark, the president said, “The status of projects, total amount appropriated and dispensed so far are now available in the public space.”
He urged Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to cooperate with the coordinating ministry, Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning to avail the required information to be captured on the platform.
In his address, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said Eyemark would empower citizens and Civil Society Organisations to monitor capital projects in real-time to promote accountability.
Agba noted that the platform leverages a large network of citizens who can monitor projects in their localities.
However, he warned that relying on the public comes with the risk of misinformation.
He said “Eyemark has been equipped with spatial technology to track images and ascertain their origins.
“If a user is in Kaduna, we can determine the authenticity of the reviews. And we can know if the image was uploaded from the location the user claimed it was sent from.”
Agba also revealed that the website and its accompanying app were developed by Nigerians of the average age of 24, with inputs from stakeholders and industry experts.
The Council also observed a minute of silence in honour of former Nigerian Minister of Interior and Defence, Ademola Rasaq Seriki, who died on Thursday, December 15, at the age of 63.
Until his death, the late Seriki was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and the country’s Permanent Representative to the World Tourism Organisation.
In attendance at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; and Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan.
Also Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare; Science and Technology, Olorunimbe Mamora; and Police Affairs, Maigari Dingiyadi, physically attended the meeting.
Others were Minister of States for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba; Environment Sharon Ikeazor and Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
Ministers of Education, Adamu Adamu; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Defence, Bashir Magashi; Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; and his state counterpart Sen. Gbemisola Saraki; Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management, Social Development, Sadiya Farouq; Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and Industry, Trade and Investment (State), Maryam Katagum, joined the cabinet meeting virtually.
