Friday, June 28, 2024, marks a significant milestone in promoting government accountability and participatory governance in Akwa Ibom State with the official launch of the Citizens' Watch Initiative. This innovative digital social accountability tool is designed to track the most significant promises made by government officials, empowering citizens with the information they need to hold the government accountable and promote participatory governance. The initiative was born out of the conviction that there is no better way to enhance good governance than a fundamental citizen engagement. 

The Initiative had been previously deployed in Oyo state as "Governor Seyi Makinde's Watch" (Codenamed #GSMWATCH) and in Ekiti State as "John Kayode Fayemi's Watch" Code named #JKFWATCH).

Today, the Initiative is being deployed in Akwa Ibom state as "Governor Umo Eno Watch" (Codenamed #ENOWATCH), jointly implemented by a consortium of three organizations: Reformers of  Africa, Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Forum (AKGCODA), and the Clement Isong Foundation (CIF).

The launch event, held at Uranus House in Uyo, brought together key stakeholders from civil society organizations, government agencies, and youth development groups. #ENOWATCH, funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) under the Strategic Partnership Agreement II (SPA II), introduces a pioneering digital platform that will serve as a centralized hub for tracking promises made by Governor Umo Eno and monitoring project progress.

Highlights of the launch included:

• Presentation of the Citizens' Report on Governor Umo Eno's First Year in Office
• Unveiling of the Eno Watch Report
• Live demonstration of the digital platform's functionalities

Elkanah Oluyori, Executive Director of the Clement Isong Foundation, stated, #EnoWatch promise tracker represents a significant step towards fostering constructive dialogue between the government and the governed. By providing citizens with the tools to monitor promises and advocate for their fulfillment, we are strengthening the foundations of our democracy."

Harry Udoh, Chair of the Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Organizations Forum, added, "This platform will play a crucial role in enhancing public service delivery through improved government transparency and accountability. We invite all citizens to actively participate in this initiative and contribute to the development of our state."

Mr. Oluwasegun Ajetunmobi, Programmes Manager at Reformers of Africa, the organization behind the development of the web platform powering the Citizens' Watch, stated, "We are thrilled to bring our expertise to Akwa Ibom State with the #EnoWatch. Building on our successful deployments of the  Governor Seyi Makinde Watch (GSMWatch) in Oyo State and the John Kayode Fayemi Watch (JKFWatch) in Ekiti State, we're confident that this platform will significantly enhance citizen engagement and government accountability in Akwa Ibom. Our goal is to create a replicable model for transparent governance across Nigeria, and Africa"

The digital platform employs an innovative rating system to track the progress of government promises, and ultimately rate each promise using the following metrics: 

Not Started: Every government promises begins at this stage.

Ongoing: This metric indicates that the promise is in the works.

Fifty/Fifty: This indicates that a promise is done halfway- the promise have been partly completed, less than the official original promise.

Against a Brick Wall: Promise earn this rating when its fulfillment is being challenged or jeopardized by a legislative act, injunction or a natural disaster.

Promise Broken: This metric is used for a promise that is not kept. 

Promise Kept: This indicates that a promise has been completely fulfilled. 

This system allows for real-time updates and provides a clear picture of the government's performance in delivering on its commitments.

The Citizens' Watch Initiative is expected to:

• Increase citizen participation in the governance process
• Promote accountability among elected officials
• Enhance transparency in government operations
• Improve the quality of public service delivery

To access the digital platform, please visit www.thecitizenswatch.com. For any media enquiries or request for commentary, please email caroline@clementisongfoundation.org or info@reformersofafrica.org.