Why whistleblower policy is weak – AFRICMIL

The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) says, lack of legal protection has weakened public confidence in whistleblowing and discouraged citizens from exposing corruption.

Dr Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, made this known in an interview with our correspondent on Monday in Abuja.

Onumah expressed concern that, nine years after Nigeria introduced the whistleblower policy, not much has been done to sustain its implementation.

He recalled that the policy led to significant recoveries of stolen funds in its early years, but it began to wane because those exposing corruption were not protected.

Onumah also underscored the need for a well-informed judiciary to achieve success in the enforcement of the whistleblower legislation.

“The enactment of a law is only the first step, its effectiveness will ultimately be determined by the courts,’’ he said.

To this end, he said AFRICMIL will be proactively engaging the guardians of the constitution, to build consensus on the importance of protecting citizens who expose corruption.

Specifically, he said AFRICMIL would be convening Nigeria’s first National Interactive Forum for Judges on Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection on Sept.18 in Abuja.

According to him, the forum is being convened in partnership with Tap iNitiative, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) and Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG),

He said the theme, “The Judiciary and Whistleblower Protection in Nigeria: Challenges and Responsibilities’’ was carefully chosen, because the judiciary is the cornerstone of any effective whistleblower protection system.

“As we continue to advocate a robust legal framework, it is imperative that our judges are equipped with the knowledge and perspective to handle whistleblower cases with wisdom and fairness.

“This forum will create a space for dialogue between the judiciary and civil society on this matter of urgent public importance,” he said

Onumah explained that the forum would focus on issues, such as, balancing transparency with national security, ensuring the anonymity of whistleblowers, and adjudicating cases of retaliation.

He said it would also provide a platform for sharing best practices and developing a harmonised approach to whistleblower litigation.

Onumah called on the government to treat the initiative as a complementary effort in the fight against corruption and to accelerate the process of transmitting a draft Whistleblower Protection Bill to the National Assembly.

According to him, the event is supported by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) and MacArthur Foundation, Whistleblowing International Network (WIN).

Other supporters are, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN).