By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Muhammed K. Dikwa has disclosed that the Federal Government has saved N594.09 billion from whistleblowing policy since its inception in 2016.
Speaking at a workshop on the overview of whistleblowing policy in Nigeria with the theme “Implementation of the Whistle Blower Policy in Nigeria, Issues, Challenges, and Way Forward” on Thursday in Abuja, Mr. Dikwa disclosed that, whistleblowing policy has come to stay in Nigeria
Stressing that Nigeria has joined other countries of the world to accept the policy as a global acceptable norm, the perm sec further stated that what prompted the introduction of the policy and the need for its legislation was the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing the cost of governance and bringing wastages and leakages to the barest minimum.
Dr. Dikwa noted that the Federal Government decided to introduce the policy in order to fight corruption, and other financial crimes, like violation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), elimination of ghost workers syndrome, staff collecting double salaries in more than one organization, retirees without proper records but still collecting salaries, recoveries of salaries from retired diplomats for almost two years to the tune of N192m, non remittances by MDAs, amongst other crimes, adding that, the policy has drastically reduced corruption in both civil and criminal cases.
On the challenges encountered during the course of implementing the policy, the Permanent Secretary highlighted lack of proper legal framework, poor funding, lack of coordination and diverse information among relevant organizations, not following proper channel to give information, adding that, sometimes information given was fake, which however contradicts investigations.
On the way forward, Dr. Dikwa said the whistleblowing and witness protection bill 2019, was being put together to make the policy effective and provide legal backing/administrative guide.
He, therefore, urged the participants to critically review the draft bill and make additional inputs to be forward same to the National Assembly for passage and enactment.
The Permanent Secretary said the whistleblowing policy which is a work in progress has come to stay. He urged the participants to work assiduously towards legalizing and institutionalizing the whistleblowing policy to meet international best practices which another comity of nations have adopted over the years.
Chairman of the Whistle Blowing Draft Committee, Mrs. Peculiar Ohabor, a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, in her presentation said the draft bill which has 18 bits and 107 sections sprang up as a result of societies evolving, adding that countries like Canada, Senegal, United Kingdom, USA, and European Union have already accepted the policy, stressing the need for Nigeria to legalize and institutionalize it.
