Use social media to bridge gap in governance, CSOs tell citizens

Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the Federal Government and the citizens to use social media to promote good governance. Mr Oluwole Olupeju, the Media Manager of Enough is Enough, a CSO, said there was the need to fashion out ideas to enhance relationship between the government and the citizens.

"The new media tools of social media represent the best way to facilitate engagement between Nigerian citizens and their elected officials and institutions.

“There is the need to strengthen individuals and institutional capacity for the use of the social media tools,’’ Olupeju said. Similarly, Mr Adebayo Adegoke, the Programme Manager of Paradigm Initiative, said the social media should not be used as means of propaganda but rather to engage citizens.

“The social contract between government and citizens forms the basis upon which there is delegated authority from citizens to those that lead them. “Social media should be optimally used to bridge the gap between the government and citizens to achieve the desire results of the social contract.

“Also, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can use the large database of phone numbers of registered voters for civil education to dissuade them from selling their votes. “The issue of midnight collation of votes can be solved by electronically sending each polling unit results to INEC immediately they are pasted.

“This is because about 80 per cent of all polling units are located where adequate GSM networks exist,’’ Adegoke observed. Beyond this, Miss Ama Bassey, data analyst with BudgIT, said there was the need to breakdown the Nigeria’s constitution to make it accessible and comprehensible to the public.

She noted that the National Assembly should be committed to passing laws that would kick-start full integration of technology in the electoral process. “Civil society organisations should also strive to transfer whatever gains that are achieved on social media to the physical world.

“This and other practice will lead to bridging the gap between the government and the citizens to enhance good governance in the country,’’ Bassy said.

NAN

Vanguard