IN a bid to improve public projects monitoring and delivery, the Federal Government has formally launched the Presidential Delivery Tracks (PDT) and Central Delivery Coordinating Unit (CDCU) websites to track and monitor government projects across the country.
Unveiling the websites on Tuesday in Abuja, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha said the PDT/CDCU platforms were introduced in 2019 towards the achievement of the nine priority goals of President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He added that the initiative is expected to enhance the delivery of the ministerial mandates towards the achievement of the objectives of the federal government.
According to him, the websites can be operated as downloadable mobile apps designed to track, review and periodically report the activities of MDAs, performances of ministers and permanent secretaries, among others, in the delivery of the ministerial mandates assigned to them by Nigerians.
“The goal of the PDT/CDCU is to promote transparency and expand access to reporting on presidential priority policies, programmes and projects.
“This is by incorporating citizens as the third layer of reporting to offer vital information that will facilitate effective service delivery. Over the last two years, the PDT/CDCU had successfully driven the Federal Government’s delivery initiative to incorporate a systematic feedback mechanism from the citizens into the design and operationalisation of its Performance Management System.
“This is in recognition of the critical roles of the citizens in promoting inclusive and citizen-centered governance,” Mustapha said.
The SGF stressed that the public websites were developed to get updates and feedback from citizens regarding public projects.
“The CDCU intends to empower citizens to make their voices heard, build a citizens engagement programme that works and participation that increases benefits, if discussed with the people”, he said.
On her part, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Zainab Ahmed described the websites as citizens-based mobile tracking apps.
She noted that the websites would allow citizens to send on-the-spot feedback on project implementation aimed at promoting public accountability.
“Indeed, it could be successfully argued that the economic well-being of any country is dependent, to a very large extent, on the strength, integrity, and complexity of its institutions and on its accountability to governmental services.
“Thus, promoting public accountability and improving service delivery in government institutions are initiated to ensure that such objectives are achieved.”
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M