By Nnenna Okonkwo
Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, has assured the public of the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and integrity in governance by stating that a whistleblower draft bill is being prepared and is expected to be presented to the national assembly soon. He made this statement during a one-day sensitization workshop held by the Ministry of Finance, Abuja. The theme of the workshop is, Implementation of the Whistleblower Policy: Issues, Challenges and The Way Forward.
In his keynote address, the minister stated that the draft bill seeks to provide a robust legal framework for the protection of whistleblowers and ensuring that reports are handled with confidentiality and prompt action.
He emphasized that the draft bill is the government’s commitment to upholding the tenets of good governance and a step in the right direction to equip everyone with the tools needed to identify corrupt malpractices.
The permanent secretary, special duties, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Okonkon Ekanem Udo, in his welcome address, said that the workshop is designed not only to deepen citizen understanding of the whistleblowing policy in Nigeria but also to foster cooperation amongst the keyholders which includes the implementing team, the civil society organizations and the media. He pointed out that the whistleblowing policy has proven to be one of the veritable tools for uncovering corrupt practices within the public and private sectors. The permanent secretary noted that the policy has encountered some challenges and therefore the workshop aims to address those challenges and seek ways to overcome them.
He thanked all stakeholders including AFRICMIL for their tireless efforts in the campaign for the enactment of a whistleblower protection law in Nigeria.
The head of the draft committee, Federal Ministry of Justice, Soji Andrew Afolabi, also gave a short presentation of the whistleblowing bill. The presentation covered the evolution of the whistleblowing policy in Nigeria, the administrative structure of the policy, the achievements, challenges and solutions.
In her closing remarks, the permanent secretary Federal ministry of Finance, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, said that it is important to focus on strengthening the protection of whistleblowers and safeguarding their identities as this will encourage more individuals to come forward and contribute to the fight against corruption.
The sensitization workshop was attended by different government institutions and civil society organizations, including representatives of AFRICMIL.
