President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting, launched the National Monitoring and Evaluation platform, EYEMARK, for citizens to adequately and closely monitor projects executed by government.

He launched the project monitoring website  (www.eyemark.ng) with its accompanying mobile app at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President said 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.

According to him, it only makes sense to set up suitable channels for citizen scrutiny given that his administration has invested more in infrastructure projects than any previous government before it.

This, he said, will close the existing gaps and  promote citizens’ participation in governance.

The President also blamed poor implementation of infrastructure projects across the country on corruption.

He said with EYEMARK, “the status of projects, total amount appropriated and dispensed so far are now available in the public space.”

He urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to cooperate with the coordinating ministry, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, explained that the EYEMARK would empower citizens and civil society organisations to monitor capital projects realtime to promote accountability. Agba pointed out that the platform made use of a sizable network of citizens who can keep an eye on initiatives in their communities, warning, however, that relying on the public comes with the risk of misinformation. He, therefore, added that EYEMARK had been equipped with spatial technology to track images and to ascertain their origins.

The council had observed a minute silence for the late Demola Seriki, former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Before his death on December 15, Seriki, 63, was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain.

Sun