Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Nigeria’s Whistle-Blower Policy

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Nigeria’s Whistle-Blower Policy

On your Mark,get set......*Blows Whistle*



“You’re a whistle-blower if you’re a worker and you report certain types of wrongdoing. This will usually be something you’ve seen at work – though not always. The wrongdoing you disclose must be in the public interest. This means it must affect others, e.g. the general public. As a whistle-blower, you’re protected by law – you shouldn’t be treated unfairly or lose your job because you ‘blow the whistle’. You can raise your concern at any time about an incident that happened in the past, is happening now, or you believe will happen in the near future.”
-Excerpt from the British Government’s Whistle-blower Policy



The Federal Government of Nigeria has finally taken a major step in the right direction by initiating a whistle-blower policy. According to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the primary goal of the policy is to support the fight against financial crimes and corruption, by increasing exposure of financial crimes and rewarding whistle-blowers. In order to promote such exposure, whistle-blowers are encouraged and offered protection from harassment or intimidation by their bosses or employers. The hope is that more looted funds will be recovered through the encouragement of voluntary information about corrupt practices.




Among the selling points of the policy are (a) the possibility of increased accountability and transparency in the management of public funds and (b) the possibility that more funds would be recovered that could be deployed in financing Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit. In the final analysis, it is hoped that the more accountable the government becomes, the higher will be Nigeria’s ranking on the indicators of openness and ease of doing business. The ultimate goal is to develop a corruption-free society and attract more and more foreign investors.

The whistle-blower policy consists of three major components. One focuses on the channels for reporting information and the type of information to be reported. Anyone, said the minister, who has “authentic information about violation, misconduct, or improper activity which can impact negatively on the Nigerian people and government” should report it through one or the other of three channels: via SMS to 0909 806 7946; via email to Whistle@finance.gov.ng; or by logging on to the whistle-blowers’ portal at . Incidentally, my attempt to log on to the portal the other day in a test run was unsuccessful.


The violations include, but are not limited to mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets; financial malpractice or fraud; collecting/soliciting bribes; diversion of revenue; fraudulent and unapproved payments; and procurement fraud (notably, kickbacks and over-invoicing).

The second deals with reward for reporting fraud: The whistle-blower will get between 2.5 per cent (minimum) and five per cent (maximum) of the recovered loot, provided that “there is a voluntary return of stolen or concealed public funds or assets on the account of the information provided”. It is still not clear how the exact amount of the reward will be calculated. The policy is also silent on whether whistle-blowers will be entitled to a share of the loot recovered after the looter has been duly convicted.

The third component assures whistle-blowers of protection: “If you feel that you have been treated badly because of your report, you can file a formal complaint. If you have suffered harassment, intimidation or victimisation, for sharing your concerns, restitution will be made for any loss suffered”. It is hoped that the details of the restitution will be fully specified in the policy.

However, before you blow that whistle and expect protection or compensation, it will be advisable to wait until the government has completed the process of enacting a whistle-blower policy that is backed by law. In other words, you must wait for the National Assembly, ever so conscious of its own self-protection, to enact a bill to that effect. Unless the policy is backed by law, it is more or less useless.

This is why some observers are expressing some concern about the fate of the policy. Will the National Assembly quickly and willingly enact the appropriate bill, given the Senate’s ongoing fight against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, by failing to confirm the nomination of its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and the ongoing fight against whistle-blowing by the House of Representatives, which suspended the former House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Albumumin Jibrin, for blowing the whistle on budget padding.

Another source of concern is the Federal Government’s habit of initiating a policy and failing to complete the process or failing to implement it like it has done with over a thousand abandoned construction projects throughout the country. There is, however, a high chance that this may fall out of that notorious pattern, given President Muhammadu Buhari’s focus on fighting corruption. The question is whether his successor will maintain the same focus, unless there is a sound policy that survives his administration.

Whatever the outcome of the policy, its delayed emergence is another indication that the Buhari administration did not start out with a clear conception of how it would fight corruption. Rather, it is constructing its corruption policy as the fight goes along. It is unfortunate that the government needed to run into a brick wall before figuring a way out.

This kind of governance practice is open to hasty judgment, which could lead to serious errors. It will be recalled that, irked by corruption in the justice system, the Presidency went after corrupt judges and lawyers, and nearly bungled the process by involving the Department of State Services, whose handling of the arrests was widely criticised.

That’s why the whistle-blower policy should be carefully crafted, aggressively sold to the public, and quickly delivered to the National Assembly for processing. In crafting the policy, its housing in the Ministry of Finance should be carefully considered in terms of the ministry’s current load of work on the economy and the linkages necessary between the whistle-blower policy and the EFCC, which will prosecute reported crimes. Besides, the policy will do better as a component of a comprehensive anti-corruption policy.

Questions also remain as to whether petitions to the EFCC will continue to be welcome once the whistle-blower policy goes into effect. If petitions will no longer be necessary, then perhaps the whistle-blower policy should be housed within the EFCC.



Finally, the rush by citizens for more information about the whistle-blower policy indicates public willingness to report financial crimes and corruption. The Federal Government should capitalise on this willingness to broaden its anti-corruption fight to states, educational and health institutions, and the private sector. The broader the fight, the more citizens will get involved.

From punch by Niyi Akinnaso


28 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I didn't read though.

      If they won't disclose my identity, I will blow the whistle

      Delete
    2. Good to know??Try it and see if you will still have a job by tomorrow..In Naija abi where?

      Delete
    3. Blow the whistle and lemme catch you or them point say na you blow am. Your head will be blown off with yhe whistle.. Lol

      Delete
  2. Someone should summarise it please.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This whole whistle blower stuff won't work in a country like Nigeria trust me on this,all it will do is increase crime ND more stealing ND people might get killed for trying to blow d whistle bcos our govt wnt provide good ND efficient protection for them or thier loved ones after blowing d whistle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My tot darl, blow whistle and kaput nio, them no send u.... Where u r blowing whistle gan the pple there will expose ur identity.....moreso N.assembly won't pass it into law.

      Delete
  4. Is there a way for buhari to be probed....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lol, of course Nigerians are jobless nd know how to put people down,it will definitely work

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olodo,this is done in all developed countries. Reporting a crime or breaking the law is not putting anybody down. Go to gov.uk,you can report anything anonymously. Get enlightened and stop talking like your brain is 90% saw-dust.

      Delete
  6. Nonsense policy

    You go blow whistle finish,police go still arrest you or even report you give the person wen you blow him whistles....before you no dem go come assassinate person


    Abeg,make Una.hold Una.money or make Una invite the "tea Anonymous" whistle blower for @Nigergistlive😃




    @Galore

    ReplyDelete
  7. I for like be one of SDK whistle blower. What is our policy

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  8. I hope this is not another propaganda of this hypocritical govt of APC

    ReplyDelete
  9. OK na
    Let whistle blowers start now

    ReplyDelete
  10. PG18
    So the house of rep guy, go get 5% from the 40billion budget padding? Fake polices. Problem is looking at us in the face, but we prefer to beat around the bush. We too like gossip for this country.we keep talking for over years but nothing happens. I have always said the problem of Nigeria is standard, we do not have standards that is why Judges were arrested over reports of corruption and more investigation is needed for the arrest of SGF and EFCC boss.not havering standards is the same reason senate president and his vice are on trial, while the speaker is eating with the president.bring in values and standard and see how everything falls in place.
    ASHAWO WAS 1's A VIRGIN

    ReplyDelete
  11. Blow what..... Make una no try that iranu for here oooo.

    Na frat go come eliminate u for ur house ooo


    Mc pinky

    ReplyDelete
  12. Abeg if I see where DEM dey share I go collect my own .Wetin concern me concern whistle? As long as Nija dey concerned that policy won't work here rather you will get yourself killed.
    When the uniform men can't even protect you,and the so called government is only after their own selfish interest y would I sacrifice myself?
    The whistle blowing starts from them.
    Ain't nobody got tym for this .

    ReplyDelete
  13. Abeg if I see where DEM dey share I go collect my own .Wetin concern me concern whistle? As long as Nija dey concerned that policy won't work here rather you will get yourself killed.
    When the uniform men can't even protect you,and the so called government is only after their own selfish interest y would I sacrifice myself?
    The whistle blowing starts from them.
    Ain't nobody got tym for this .

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi friends pls i ve a very important tin to say dis mrn i saw it myslf and its real i and my hubby had a misunderstanding last night and afr talking i slpt off and in my dreams i saw i n my sister inlaw chatting and she was like wat is happening dat there r 2 moons up and 1 is going dwn while d other is still shinning and i was like its a lie let me see it so i came outside look and i saw it also saw dat d cloud was red wit flowers and immediately i heard ppl shouting while some were snapping so i rushed out only for me to see a lady goin up in d sky n coming dwn again and bfor i knew it d ground swallowed d woman and my secondary sch classmate i was shocked i had to go n bring my hubby out from d huz n my son we started begging God to forgive us i was praying asking God nt to make it a reality den d cloud hst tuned into smoke and took my hubby son n me i jst woke up pls am nt trying to bore u guys but pls take God seriously now we nid his mercy now like neva bfor pls bvs repent of ur sins and amend ur ways cus God is coming bck again. Tnks all

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is Nigeria. That policy won't fly . Do not whistle-blow your life away...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Blow & know you are finished. This same people will be the ones to point you out to the guyz & before you know your life isnt safe

    ReplyDelete
  17. Is too long, can't waste my timw to finish reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Blow finish Mk eke(police)carry u clean mouth

    ReplyDelete

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