Extending its whistle-blowing awareness campaign to the South West zone of the country, the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) on Tuesday said Nigerians would only begin to enjoy the benefits of good governance if corruption was substantially reduced in the society.
Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, said this at a town hall meeting in Lagos with the theme: “Whistleblowing policy and the fight against corruption.”
The event was organized by the Centre as part of its Corruption Anonymous (CORA) project which is aimed at building public support and confidence in the whistleblowing policy introduced by the Federal Government in December 2016. The project is supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
AFRICMIL had previously organised town hall meetings in the North West (Kano) and South East (Owerri) zones of the country to raise awareness and call for the active participation of citizens in the fight against corruption using the whistleblowing opportunity.
In his welcome speech, Onumah emphasized the need for Nigerians to take ownership of the anti-corruption fight in order to do away with the negative effects of corruption. He noted that corruption is so endemic that it cannot be left for the government alone to tackle.
Akin Fadeyi, Founder of the Akin Fadeyi Foundation (AFF), said the fact that many Nigerians are culprits had increasingly made the anti-graft war difficult.
He said many business men and women had sacrificed honest dealings on the altar of profit while putting the lives of unsuspecting public in danger. “Many have killed their conscience and knowingly or unknowingly accept corruption as a way of life,” he added.
Bowoto Raphael, who represented the DG of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), pointed out that the general value system of a typical Nigerian must change if the fight against corruption fight must be won. He said Nigerians must do away with the ‘little cheating’ they engage in every day.
Kabir Elelu who represented the acting chairman of the ICPC said the Commission had put in place measures to encourage whistle blowers to submit tips. While assuring whistle blowers of protection, he noted that the Commission had embarked on vigorous sensitization efforts to reach every sector of the society, including students and youth, with the anti-corruption message.
Blessing Kadiri-Abiri, Programme Officer, CLEEN Foundation, Lagos, said the whistle blower initiative must be extended beyond its current priority area which is the civil service.
Sina Odugbemi who represented the executive director of HEDA Resource Centre, noted that the whistle blower policy provided a veritable opportunity for citizens to key into the fight against corruption. He said the policy will complement the Freedom of Information Act.
Mohammed Isa who represented the Director of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), the administrators of the whistle-blower policy in the Ministry of Finance, said the policy had aided the government in recovering monies stolen by corrupt individuals. He noted that such funds are used in carrying out priority projects. He urged Nigerians not to hesitate to expose corruption by submitting tips using the platforms created by PICA or anti-graft agencies.
Mr Joseph Akeju, a whistle blower who was sacked from his job at the Yaba College of Technology for seven years shared his experience. He noted that whistle blowing a challenging and dangerous enterprise.
Over sixty participants from different civil society organisations, government agencies and the media attended the town hall meeting. Participants agreed that the whistle blower policy was an important addition to the fight against corruption but emphasized the need to protect whistle blowers.
The town hall meeting was organised in partnership with CLEEN Foundation, HEDA Resource Centre and Akin Fadeyi Foundation.
