The Federal Government is preparing to legalize the whistleblower policy and protect informants.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, made the announcement on Wednesday at a one-day workshop in Abuja on the sensitization of whistleblowing policy in Nigeria.
The policy was originally implemented on December 21, 2016.
The minister said, “It is a fact that a successful whistleblowing policy involves receiving verifiable reports, conducting thorough investigations to authenticate them, and taking appropriate action to enforce compliance with the law.
“We are committed to implementing the present government’s agenda for the latter, and therefore no stone would be left unturned to ensure that a legal framework is put in place to drive the implementation of the policy.
“To this end, Mr President will be re-presenting, in due course, the whistleblowing bill to the National Assembly for necessary processing and legislative action. And we expect that the public will support the quick passage, the prompt and expeditious passage of this all-important bill by the National Assembly.”
In his welcome remarks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Okokon Ekanem Udoh, stated that the whistleblowing policy, which was implemented on December 21, 2016, has shown to be one of the most effective instruments for discovering fraudulent acts in the public and commercial sectors.
“It has empowered citizens to report to the relevant authorities about identified misappropriation of public funds and other fraudulent activities, thereby contributing immensely towards the institutionalization of transparency and accountability in governance,” Mr Udoh said
The finance minister stated that the whistleblower policy is part of the government’s effort to ensure that public structures function with ethics and are held responsible to the people of Nigeria.
He stated that despite the policy’s noble objectives, the public is still fed with misinformation, making the ongoing stakeholder interactions, like the workshop, necessary to further educate the public.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that the sensitization workshop is intended not only to improve awareness of the whistleblowing policy in Nigeria but also to promote teamwork among key stakeholders.
The key stakeholders include the implementing team, civil society organizations, and members of the press, among others.
Mr Edun stated that the administration is dedicated to ensuring that the whistleblower policy runs smoothly while also maintaining the confidentiality of informants.
“The policy does provide mechanisms for protection, and we must uphold these provisions and support those who come forward in the interest of the public, those who are public-spirited, brave, courageous, committed, and determined to do the right thing, must, should, and will be protected,” the minister stated.
He emphasized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s steadfast commitment to institutionalizing and prioritizing openness, accountability, and ethical good governance.
However, he noted that, as with other government policies, the policy’s implementation has encountered some challenges at the outset.
“We are here today to examine the challenges and collectively seek ways to overcome them. It is imperative that we continually refine our strategies to ensure effective implementation of the policy to achieve the desired results,” he further stated.