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From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Efforts are currently being made by the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRIMIL) to ensure the enactment of a law protecting whistleblowers in Nigeria.
Coordinator of the organisation, Dr Chido Onumah, disclosed this during a One-day Review Meeting of Step-down Training on Strengthening the Capacity of Community-Based Organisations on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection held in Awka, Anambra State capital.
The review meeting was themed: “Sharing Impact by CBOs on the Promotion of Whistleblowing Policy in Anambra State.”
Onumah, represented by the Senior Program Officer of the organisation, Nkechi Ugwu, lamented that an already draft bill which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under President Muhammadu Buhari could not be passed into law before the end of that administration.
“As you all are aware, protection of whistleblowers is crucial to the success of whistleblowing policy implementation. Unfortunately, there’s no law yet to back the policy.
“But we’re no longer where we were when we came here for the town hall meeting and the step-down training. We have made progress in the sense that we have a whistleblowing protection draft bill that the Federal Executive Council approved last December.
“Again unfortunately, the Buhari administration did not pass it into law before its tenure ended”, he lamented.
Regardless, the AFRIMIL boss revealed that “we are already working with our partners to ensure the enactment of the law as quickly as possible.” He believed that the enactment of the law would help in the fight against corruption in the country.
State Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Godwin Oche, said that the commission had recorded appreciable successes using the whistle-blowing tools.
Oche, represented by the officer-in-charge of Public Enlightenment and Education, Inalegwu Shaibu, said that some of these successes included the recovery of cash and properties such as vehicles, farm lands, buildings, schools and hotels.
He said that although the commission faces a lot of challenges in the course of discharging its duties, it would not relent in fighting corruption.
He, therefore, encouraged whistleblowers to step forward with useful information that would help it in fighting sharp practices, promising them of the organisation’s full protection.
“Fighting corruption in a developing nation like Nigeria remains a work in progress. The ubiquitous litanies of woes of corruption on our moral, socio-economic and national development is very alarming.
“It, therefore, requires joint efforts of state and non-state actors to reduce corruption in Nigeria to the barest minimum and birth a country of our dream”, he said.
President of the International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC), Chris Azor, described corruption as an act of misappropriating the people’s commonwealth.
Azor, who doubles as the chairman of the Anambra State Civil Society Network (ASCONET), however, reminded the people that it was their duty to hold their leaders to account.
“We’re proud to note that Community Based Organizations have been monitoring projects at their localities and these steps have been yielding dividends”, he said.
Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in the state, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, said that the government was pleased with the goal of the project, saying that Prof. Chukwuma Soludo-led administration supports accountability and transparency in governance.
The commissioner, represented by the Acting Director, and Focal Person, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs Chioma Ezechukwu, said that the government would continue to maintain transparency as it works for the people.
Also speaking, the Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state, Joseph Uchendu, said that the roles played by whistleblowers would help to stamp out corruption in the country and therefore should be protected.
