The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has emphasized the urgent need for the National Assembly (NASS) to accelerate the passage of the Whistleblowers Protection Bill during a recent two-day national anti-corruption colloquium in Lagos, organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Corruption.
The colloquium, themed “Transparency, Accountability, Compliance: TAC’24,” served as a platform for stakeholders from government ministries, departments, agencies, and security agencies to come together and exchange ideas on combating corruption in Nigeria.
Dr. Aliyu highlighted the pivotal role whistleblowers play in uncovering corruption, misuse of power, and unethical practices within the public sector.
He emphasized that whistleblowing is a globally recognized tool against corruption, with its impacts spanning various sectors, from safeguarding public funds to preventing health and environmental crises.
He underscored the importance of whistleblowing in allowing individuals to report wrongdoing, giving organizations the opportunity to address issues before they escalate.
He praised the Federal Ministry of Finance for its initiative to reward informants with a percentage of recovered funds but expressed concern over the insufficient protection afforded to whistleblowers, which he believed was hindering the momentum of the initiative.
Dr. Aliyu emphasized the necessity of bolstering support for whistleblowers and enhancing reporting mechanisms within the public sector to promote ethical conduct and promptly address misconduct through legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms, technological solutions, and education.
He argued that strengthening whistleblowers and reporting mechanisms is vital for fostering accountability, integrity, and trust in public institutions.
By implementing comprehensive legal protections, cultivating supportive institutional cultures, leveraging technology for secure reporting, and promoting awareness and education, Dr. Aliyu contended that the public sector could create an environment where whistleblowing is protected and encouraged, empowering whistleblowers to drive positive change and ensure the ethical and transparent operation of public institutions.
In response, Chairman Kayode Moshood Akiolu of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption assured that the message would be conveyed to fellow lawmakers, emphasizing their commitment to reducing corruption to its barest minimum, including passing the whistleblowers protection bill into law.
Furthermore, Murtala Aliyu Kankia, the acting chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), addressed the importance of ethical conduct in the public sector.
He lamented the decline in ethical standards among civil servants, stressing the necessity for public officers to uphold values such as political neutrality, integrity, discipline, honesty, and efficiency.
Mr. Kankia underscored the detrimental effects of unethical behavior on trust between government and citizens, economic growth, and the delivery of essential services to vulnerable populations.
He emphasized the global scrutiny faced by Nigeria’s public sector and highlighted the CCB’s role as a guardian of ethical conduct through rigorous administration of asset declarations, verification processes, enforcement of codes of conduct, prosecution, and training initiatives.
Mr. Kankia called for collective commitment to combat corruption and cultivate a culture of integrity within the public sector, emphasizing the transformative potential of ethical behavior in shaping the nation’s future.
Mr. Kankia expressed confidence in the collaborative efforts of the CCB, ICPC, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in eradicating corruption from Nigeria.
