Constituency Projects: NASS, stakeholders endorse technology-enabled engagement

The position of the legislature tallies with a firm position canvassed by other critical stakeholders from the media, civil society organisations, community-based organisations and representatives of the executive branch of government, among others, concerned with the constituency projects scheme. This was the consensus at a one-day interactive stakeholders’ roundtable on the constituency projects scheme (ConsTrack) organized by OrderPaper Nigeria in Abuja. The event was organised with support from USAID’s Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) project. The acknowledgement by the National Assembly was expressed by the deputy chairman of the House of Representatives committee on constituency outreach, Bede Eke. Speaking at the roundtable, Eke, who commended OrderPaper Nigeria for the ConsTrack initiative, said it has become necessary to the the opportunity of the proposed mobile application to scale up sensitisation, engagements and appropriate exchange of information and ideas about the controversial constituency projects scheme. The lawmaker expressed delight at the timely intervention of such initiatives as ConsTrack at a time the issue of constituency projects is generating controversies as a result of lack of sensitisation and informed understanding by all stakeholders. Describing OrderPaper Nigeria as the emergent liaison between the people and legislators, Eke said: “First, let me thank OrderPaper; the other day it was a colloquium on the budget; today it is on the constituency projects. If I have the power, I think the National Assembly should engage the organisation, because you are now like a liaison between we the lawmakers and the people.]]>