In a bid to recover looted funds from alleged corrupt individuals and organisations, the Federal Government recently announced through the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun the approval of the payment of not more than five per cent to any person who exposes corruption by providing relevant information leading to the recovery of public funds.
According to Mrs Adeosun, the whistle-blower payment approval was the outcome of a Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari last December. AcAcording to the 19-point agenda for the implementation of the policy, information that a whistleblower can provide to fight corruption include the mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets (such as property and vehicles), financial malpractice or fraud, collecting or soliciting bribes, “corruption”, diversion of revenues, fraudulent and unapproved payments, splitting of contracts, procurement frauds (such as kickbacks, over-invoicing) among others.
While disclosing that a public portal had been set up to enable members of the public lodge their reports, the minister assured that a Bill to give legal effect to the policy will be sent to the National Assembly, adding that adequate steps will also be taken to protect those who participate in it, while their rewards are assured.
This is a very good idea, though we wait to see the complete package. We strongly believe that the best way to fight corruption is to nip it in the bud, as the “strong-man” tactics of forceful recovery of stolen public funds and property are time-consuming and often, futile. If this idea is fully developed, it will be a strong way of fighting corruption institutionally, which will make the effort a tradition that endures irrespective of any regime in power.
In more advanced countries, such as the United States of America, the Whistleblower Acts are not only used to fight corruption, they are also deployed to prevent or sanction all forms of abuses, including abuse of office and human rights both in private and public offices. It is generally used to get people to conform to acceptable standards in the work place and in personal life.
Nigerians, however, might be skeptical about this measure as a means of fighting corruption, as government and its law-enforcement agencies (especially the Police) have long established notoriety for promising rewards for those who provide useful information to solve crimes only to turn around and victimise informants.
For the whistleblower policy to succeed, civil liberty groups and lawyers must play active roles in ensuring that whistleblowers are not only adequately protected by law, but also get their due rewards.
We hope the National Assembly will be brave enough to pass the law when it comes to them, as it will go far in assisting us win the war against corruption.
