By Nnenna Okonkwo
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), in collaboration with the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG),organized a two-day subregional conference on whistleblowing and whistleblower protection in West Africa at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Academy, Karu, Abuja
The theme of the conference was, Reducing Corruption in West Africa: The Importance of Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection Legislations. The event was aimed at highlighting the importance of the enactment of whistleblower protection laws in ECOWAS states as a way of achieving transparency, accountability and good governance in the subregion.
In his welcome address, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, Dr. Chido Onumah, expressed concern over the lack of accountability, integrity and transparency in the management of resources by the governments in power ECOWAS states which has resulted in a continuous increase in the rate of poverty in the region. He noted that whistleblowers have been helping to expose corrupt practices such as bribery, fraud, misappropriation of public funds amongst other wrong doings and therefore need a legal framework that guarantees their protection.
Onumah noted that of all the 15 member states that make up ECOWAS, Ghana is the only country so far with a whistleblower protection law. This, he said, is not a good advertisement for ECOWAS, whose region is consistently rated poorly on the Transparency international corruption index (CPI) and majority of whose member countries are still considered as the most corrupt countries in the world.
In his goodwill message, the African Director MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima, stated that whistleblowing is one of the major instruments for improving accountability in theregion as the fight against corruption requires using different tools. He said the MacArthur Foundation uses tools like strengthening anti-corruption agencies, supporting investigative journalism and encouraging behavioural change to propel advocacy against corruption in society.
Shettima emphasized that the work around whistleblowing is one of the tools that is needed to help contribute towards a better ecosystem.
A professor of criminology and seasoned policy analyst, Etannibi Alemika, in his keynote address, called for the adoption of a stronger whistleblower protection law across West Africa to fight corruption. Alemika stated that the lack of adequate protection for whistleblowers has discouraged many peoplefrom coming forward to expose wrong doing.
Michael Nzekwe, who represented the executive chairman ofEFCC, criticized the Nigeria’s current whistleblower policy for its lack of a robust legal backing. He stated that while the policy promises rewards for reporting stolen funds, it fails to adequately protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
He also stressed the need for a comprehensive legislation that ensures anonymity, protection from victimization, and relocation of whistleblowers and their families if necessary. He emphasized that without a strong legal protection, whistleblowing will continue to remain a risky act that few people will be willing to undertake.
UNODC country representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure, in his remarks, stated that the protection of whistleblowers is one of the most effective tools to prevent, detect, and ultimately prosecute corrupt cases. According to him, a robust reporting and protection system is a cornerstone of the fight against corruption and contributes to institutional accountability in line with sustainable development goal.
The conference had six panel sessions with panelists offeringperspectives on issues surrounding whistleblowing and whistleblower protection in Nigeria, sharing good practices among sub-regional representatives, exploring the role of whistleblowers in corruption and human rights violation in sports, the role of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies in promoting whistleblowing and whistleblower protection,strengthening civil society advocacy on whistleblower protection legislation in west Africa, as well as navigating the challenges and retaliation of whistleblowers. Whistleblowers from across the countries gave accounts of their experience and the retaliation they faced after blowing the whistle. These retaliations included job loss, legal battles, harassment, and even death threats.
The challenges faced by whistleblowers underscore the urgent need for a stronger legal protection, secure reporting channels, public awareness initiative and comprehensive support system to protect and empower whistleblowers.
The conference was attended by representatives from Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Benin, Togo and Cameroon, as well as officials from ICPC, EFCC, UNODC, PPLAAF, and civil society organizations (CSOs), whistleblowers, and the media.
This whistleblowing and whistleblower protection conference is the first of such in the region, and AFRICMIL has promised that it would be convened about the same time every year to sustain the culture of whistleblowing in ECOWAS member states.
The conference was supported by the MacArthur Foundation and the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF).
