Coalition tasks FEC, NASS on whistle-blower protection law

Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition on Thursday called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the whistle-blower protection legislation before the end of the current administration.

The call made by representatives of the group at a news conference to mark the 2022  International Anti-Corruption Day in Abuja .

The representatives are : Mr Kolawole Ogunbiyi ,Programme Manager,African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) , and Mr Godwin Onyeacholem ,Senior Programme Officer AFRICMIL, Ms Adaobi Obiabunmuo, Project Coordinator · Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG,) and Mr  Botti Isaac , Programmes Coordinator, Social Action.

Mr Ogunbiyi Kolawole of AFRICMIL  said the group as a coalition identified one of the gaps in the fight against corruption as the undue delay in putting in place a framework for the protection of citizens who blow the whistle.

“So our specific mission as  a group is to strengthen advocacy for the passage of the Whistleblowing and whistle-blower protection bill and its enactment as a law before President Muhammadu Buhari winds up next year.

“We note that onlike  the early stages of the Whistleblowing policy when people showed tremendous enthusiasm about submitting reports which resulted in frequent recovery of looted public finds ;there has been a noticeable severe reduction in people’s interest in passing information to anti-corruption agencies .

“The major reason is that the the Whistleblowing policy which this administration introduced six years ago has remained a policy with no framework for protecting whistle-blowers who are continually subjected to all kinds of punishment for reporting fraud and corrupt practices in their offices .”

Ogunbiyi said many whistle-blowers in the public sector  have been visited with adverse actions ranging from dismissal  suspension without pay ,denial or salary and promotion ,intimidation harassment among others .

He said  even those who refuse to participate in corrpt acts attracts punishment  and this has discouraged many from making disclosures on wrongdoing .

He said the coalition was therefore,using the International Anti-Corruption Day to reaffirm their resolve to call for the gap of last of legislation to be filled .

He said a significant step in concretising this resolve was taken on Nov.8 in Abuja where civil society and media partners who  recognised the importance of Whistleblowing protection law.

“The  group came up  with what is now known as The Abuja Declaration of Action on Whistleblowing Legislation and Whistleblower Protection in Nigeria.

“It is this Abuja Declaration that this coalition has thr honour of unveiling today with the generous support of members.

“The coalition considers this a significant milestone in our struggle to ensure that a Whistle-blower protection law is enacted ad a positive and sincere way of encouraging citizens to join the fight against corruption which is the original intent of the Whistleblowing policy. “

According to Ogunbiyi, the Abuja Declaration featured two majors highlights.

He said  the first is the recognition of Whistleblowing as not just a mechanism for addressing fraud and illegalities,but also as a right of freedom of expression which is a fundamental human right that needs to be fully protected.

He said this was because people have a right to both speaking up and speaking out without any hindrance.

He said the second feature is the unanimous endorsement  of a strong coalition of duty bearers to intensity the campaign for an urgent realisation of protection legislation.

Ogunbiyi said the group was aware that a draft whistleblowing bill would be considered by FEC and sent to the National Assembly  for passage .

He therefore ,said that the coalition has resolved use the Abuja Declaration as a tool of engagement with all tiers of goverment  but especially legislators towards having the bill passed into law before the end of this administration  .