The John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, today, paid a courtesy visit to the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) in Abuja.
The Foundation’s delegation led by Dr. Kole Shettima, Director, Africa Office, said the visit was another way of strengthening the relationship with its grantees as well as learning the progress and the challenges they face in their work.
In his welcome remark, Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, expressed gratitude to the Foundation for the opportunity its grant had provided both in terms of helping the organization to reposition itself and enabling an amplification of the anti-corruption war with regard to the whistleblowing policy.
Describing the whistleblowing policy “as the most creative and innovative intervention in the fight against corruption,” Onumah said AFRICMIL had through its project, Corruption Anonymous (CORA), made significant progress in advancing the importance of whistleblowing in the anti-corruption war even though much still needed to be done to overcome the challenges. “Although we are happy that we are able to interface with PICA, the administrators of the policy, there are still challenges concerning getting data such as a breakdown of tips from the public and which anti-corruption agencies the tips are submitted to,” Onumah noted.
He lamented the lack of effective protection for whistleblowers, recalling the reprisals whistle-blowers face in the country.
He also urged the Foundation to assist in capacity building for AFRICMIL staff by providing opportunities for them to attend conferences as well as encourage coalition building on whistleblowing which would involve fellow grantees such as CISLAC, HEDA, SAY NO CAMPAIGN, SERAP, YIAGA AFRICA, and PTCIJ.
On the issue of capacity building, Dr. Shettima noted that, ‘’Going forward, the Foundation is looking at encouraging grantees to include conferences and training in their budgets.” He said the idea of a whistle-blower coalition involving MacArthur grantees was a good idea and encouraged AFRICMIL to follow through with it.
As a way of further highlighting the plight of whistle-blowers facing persecution, Dr. Shettima urged AFRICMIL to consider launching a wider campaign with media partners which would involve both print and radio components.
Through its CORA project, AFRICMIL has since the past one year, been creating awareness on the whistleblower policy, advocating strict compliance with the process and canvassing for the safety and protection of whistle-blowers.
Dr. Shettima was accompanied on the visit by Ms Hauwa Kazeem.
