The Whistle Blowers Anti-Corruption Reporting Network (WARN) an NGO, has called on the National Assembly to pass the Whistle Blowers Protect Bill to encourage the reporting of corruption practices in the country.
Mr Gabriel Onwe, the Executive Director, WARN, stated this at the inauguration of the NGO in Abuja.
He said that the bill if passed would serve as an incentive to potential whistleblowers and encourage more report of financial crimes among the citizens.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bill if passed into law would ensure adequate protection of whistle blowers from reprisals, victimisation, isolation and humiliation, which were some of the consequences of whistle-blowing.
NAN also reports that this mechanism is a recognised concept which has been adopted by many countries of the world and it has helped in the fight against corruption.
According to him, whistle blowing is an anti-corruption programme that encourages the voluntarily disclosure of information about fraud bribery, looted government funds and so on to the Ministry of Finance through its portal.
He added that a whistle blower who provided information about any stolen fun were entitled to 2.5 percentage from the recovered funds by the Nigeria government.
“It is not acceptable for the bill to be sitting in National Assembly without being passed for many years now.
“We will do everything within humanly possible to make them see reason why this bill must be passed into law.
“Since its inception in 2016, the policy has been a success,” he said.
According to him, the policy has led to the recovery of staggering amounts of looted funds, thus providing to be an effective and reliable mechanism in fighting corruption.
“We can’t emphasis the fact that whistleblowing can only make the desired impact and survive if the whistleblowers enjoy full protection from persecutions of any kind.
“And to ensure that those against whom reports are made are punished for their crimes.
“It is important going forward that the usual fear nursed by potential whistle blowers that their safety may be compromised or that they can be short-changed is urgently addressed, ” he said.
He said the NGO would encourage citizen participation in the fight against corruption through community mobilisation, training, project tracking as well as promoting accountability and good governance.
The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, commended the NGO for choosing a very creative and important anti-corruption aspect to work on.
The ICPC Chairman in his keynote address on the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP), said the Commission in partnership with other stakeholders were working for the country to regain its lost glory through its fight against corruption.
Owasanoye, who was represented by Mr Edet Ufot, an Assistant Director at the Commission says, “NEIP represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest for national rebirth that will introduce accountability and good governance.
“The NEIP will also recondition its citizens to work for national development while encouraging them to cultivate respect love for fellow citizens.”
Owasanoye added that the policy which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on August 2020 and launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 2020, was aimed at correcting many damaging effects of corruption in both the public and private sectors.
On his part, Mr Mainasara Umar, the Director, Legal Information and Corporate Services Department, National Commission for Colleges of Education, urged the government to create an anti-corruption court in the country.
Umar said this would ensure that “all corrupt cases did not exceeds six weeks and the era of soft landing for corrupt officers is a thing of the past.” (NAN)
