Presidency Commences Moves to Strengthen Whistleblower Policy

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The presidency wednesday said in view of the success recorded by the whistle blower policy in the war against corruption, it had commenced moves to strengthen the device for more effective results.

Making this disclosure, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the enthusiastic response of Nigerians to the whistle blower policy had boosted the tempo of anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also said the government was itching towards strengthening the structural capacity of the whistle blower mechanism, pointing out that government was considering doing so by either bringing it under the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) or some other government bodies with a view to making the device more result-oriented.

“In a word, government thinks that the whistle blower mechanism is too important to be left without a strategic, national direction,” he said. He also commended the zeal and patriotism of Nigerians towards exploring the whistle blower policy to expose hidden looted funds.

He added: “No public policy can succeed or go far enough without public support and participation. When the citizens realise they are victims of corruption, they may feel encouraged to join the efforts to expose looted funds.”

Shehu further explained that the huge and incredible amount of looted funds being recovered by EFCC through the whistle blower device “is a revelation about the mindless, callous and reckless scale on which Nigeria had been robbed by unpatriotic and egregiously selfish public officials.”

He also said the government was receiving suggestions that it should employ the device to expose Nigerians who use the illegal weapons to cause communal violence.

“Yes, it is true, the presidency has received suggestions that call for the whistle blower policy to be extended to the possession of illegal weapons by powerful individuals in the country.

“The government will look at all that and make a pronouncement. Nigerians would be encouraged to expose the presence of illegal weapons in the homes of powerful politicians and other public figures who may use those deadly arms for sinister political agenda.”