Agunloye, in at an interractive session with journalists in Ibadan, dispelled such misgivings, and said such a strategy rather than create unemployment will be a veritable source of wealth creation and also generate employment.
He explained that the idea behind the programme was to bring up people empowerment programme.
Besides, he said that in line with the global challenges in information technology, the concept involved the use of information and communication technologies to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of government.
He separated the idea from the planned retrenchment of about 30,000 workers from the Federal Civil Service (FCS), insisting that it was an approach by the goverment to maximise its limited human and material resources for optimal results.
Agunloye said all the states of the federation were at different levels of the stages of implementation of eGovernment, with Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Nassarawa, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta and Bauchi States listed among the states that had already embraced the programme.
While the Jigawa government was on the verge of co-opting the need of the people into governance, with the introduction of communication and video conferencing, he said the Bauchi and Lagos State Governments had introduced the concept into their revenue collection system.
According to him, the idea was designed to bring governance closer to the ordinary citizen,while dispelling the notion that the idea was elitist and might not stand the test of time.
Agunloye futher said that the programme, would be self-sustaining as it only got political will and the support of the Federal Government at its infancy stage.
For the service to be accessible to the public, he said 3,096 centres, four in each of the 774 local government areas across the country would be established, while the services would also be available at the cyber cafes.
On the benefit of the programme to the ordinary citizen, Agunloye said it would be a data bank that would integrate government ministries and parastatals, as well as all tiers of government, including interaction with the people, businesses and organizations.
He added that the e-Trading would afford the people in the remote areas to engage in business transactions without having to migrate to the urban centres.
The government, he said, would also rake in funds from increased productivity borne out of greater efficiencies and transparency, adding that this "will save funds by blocking waste pipes and losses hitherto being siphoned through corruption and officialdom."
Similarly, he said e-Health and telemedicine had already been incorporated into the National Health Insurance Scheme, which would enable the rural dwellers to receive medical attention from e-Doctors and experts from any part of the country without seeing them.
Agunloye stressed that the stages involved in the implementation of the programme included e-enabling the operations of the government, by making data on personnel, salary payment, government contracts, budgeting and others electronic compliant.
He said, "it will also break down the silos mentality among the many departments of government by adopting a concatenated style of operation which would afford everybody access to information on the ministries and departments with a touch of buttons.
"It will also provide a one-shop advantage and access to multi-channel accessories. Communication barriers will be broken as people will get information anytime anywhere without having to bribe any official", he said.
The programme, he said, would outlive the present administration as it was designed to be self-sustaining to generate income from the services that it would provide.
Autor: Ademola Adeyemo
Quelle: AllAfrica, 12.12.12005
