Only early passage whistleblower bill’ll deepen anti-graft war— Itse Sagay
Whereas the Whistle Blowers policy of the federal Ministry of Finance has made unprecedented recoveries for the government even without an enabling law, early passage of the Act by the National Assembly will raise the game in anti-graft war. This was the submission of the chairman of the presidential advisory committee against corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN).
Besides, several experts in law have averred that Unless the whistleblower protection bill is passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, the fight against corruption may be threatened due to fear of victimization.
According to Chief Edwin Nnabgoro, a Port Harcourt based lawyer, “just like unless the presidential order given to international oil companies to relocate their head offices to oil communities is given a legal backing vide an Act of the National Assembly, “it is only when whistle blowing law is passed that blowers can be said to be well protected from victimisation and harassment”.
“There are provisions in the whistleblower bill, which is before the National Assembly and they are designed to protect people who give vital information. I believe that the earlier we pass the bill, the better so that those who have information will be able to give out that information with the assurance that they have the backing and protection of the law.”
Explaining more, Sagay noted that the non-passage of the whistle-blower bill would affect the war against corruption negatively but not devastatingly.
He said “I don’t think it would be devastating because at the interim, the executive arm of government can use its own initiative to introduce some measures of protection. So, it doesn’t have to be total devastation because the National Assembly has not passed the bill. So, I implore the executive to use its initiative to introduce some protective measures pending the passage of the bill”.
In his submission, Human Rights advocate and 2nd vice president of the NBA, Mr. Monday Ubani, averred that the whistle-blower policy deserves a legal enactment for the policy to be taken serious. Its present form without legal backing, he said, is very dangerous for any of the persons that intend to give out information against crime or corruption.
