Connected Development (CODE) says it is developing a website to assess the social gaps and challenges faced by citizens affected by COVID-19 pandemic in some African countries.
The CODE’s Project Lead, Dr Onyekachi Onuoha made this known when he led a delegation to the Federal Ministry of Health, in a statement in Abuja.
Onuoha said the organisation was seeking partnership with the ministry to assist it in countering fake news and misinformation about COVID-19.
He said that the website would also help to give credible information about the pandemic and what the governments had spent to fight it.
“A website is currently being developed will look at the social gaps and certain challenges faced amongst citizens of those countries such as health, economical and a range of other issues.’’
He listed the countries as Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, adding that research had been carried out about the impact of COVID-19 and its effects in marginalised communities.
He said that the advocacy visit was to bring awareness to the ministry about a new project CODE was carrying out in partnership with BudgIT titled: COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP).
Onouha said that the CTAP project was an initiative that sought to promote accountability and transparency through the tracking of COVID-19 intervention funds across seven African countries.
He said that the measure became imperative because people were having apathy about COVID-19, with the impression that it was something the governments were making noise about that was not in existence.
He said that the project would assist the governments in making citizens buy-in, believe in the policies and protocols of COVID-19.
“The project also serves as a platform for coalition building which brings together the government, media, civil society organisations and citizens to help counter attack fake news and misinformation,’’ he said.
He said that the NGO was embarking on the project because it understood that it was a collective responsibility to build citizens’ trust in government.
“So if we have details of what governments are spending in this period of COVID-19 among other things, we can actually tell citizens this is where you can go to confirm all the records of the government.
“What that tells you is that COVID-19 is true, it is not a means of just making money and beyond that.’’
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Abdulaziz Abdullahi, who received the CODE delegate was receptive of the project and commended them for the initiative.
Abdullahi committed to bringing CODE on board when financial reports were released and to work with the team on COVID-19 issues.
The delegates from CODE included Dr Onyekachi Onuoha, Project Lead, Charles Uche, Staff Attorney and Anne Nwakalor, Communications Officer.
NAN
