The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede has called for more functional and effective ways of strengthening the whistle blowing policy of the government.

Olukoyede said this was to solidify the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.

He made the call in Abuja on Thursday in a paper he delivered at the Inter-Agency Task Team on: “Impact of the whistleblowing policy on public sector accountability and transparency.”

He noted that though the policy, at its launch in 2016, received massive public acclaim, resulting in considerable recoveries made by the EFCC, the momentum is no longer the same, necessitating reviews, modifications and refocusing.

To step up the impact of the whistleblowing policy, the EFCC boss pointed at perceived weaknesses in the policy, which should be addressed. 

One of these, he said, is the need for adequate protection for whistleblowers to shield them from persecution or punishment. 

According to him: “The starting point is to emplace a legal framework for whistleblowing including a whistleblower protection law…. whistleblower protection should be broadened to include protection for insiders in various organs of government who expose wrongdoings from within.”

Additionally, Olukoyede stressed that the channels for reporting and procedures for the determination and payment of incentives should be streamlined. 

Added to this is the need for “clear-cut guidelines on reporting channels, including determining agencies to receive the whistleblower information”. 

He charged Nigerians to look away from the pecuniary benefits of the policy, stressing that incentives should not be the driving force of the policy. 

“A sustainable whistleblower programme should be anchored on a moral foundation in which citizens provide information as a matter of patriotic duty, not propelled by a desire for reward. Whistleblowing should be organic, not driven by pecuniary considerations,” he said.

More importantly, Olukoyede stated that whistleblowing should not be reactionary. 

He said: “We should be more interested in whistleblowing that prevents the stealing of public funds rather than the recovery of funds. 

“Once funds are looted, the entire loot may never be recovered.”

In a Keynote Address, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said that the fight against corruption was gaining more traction across borders, advocating that whistleblowers should be protected by the government at all cost.

“The present administration is committed to the fight against corruption and the government is putting up mechanisms to block loopholes in MDAs to ensure that graft is prevented,” he said.

Fagbemi labelled corruption as a cankerworm, especially in the public service, and commended the organiser of the programme for coming up with workable suggestions and strategies capable of enhancing the anti-graft war. 

He promised to work closely with all agencies to ensure that corruption is tackled frontally by the government.

Earlier, while giving his Goodwill Message, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, National Bureau of Statistics, Adeniran Adeyemi, who spoke on: “Third National Corruption Survey in Nigeria,” said that corruption has been a big problem in the nation, hence there should be an encouragement for whistleblowers and a legal framework to protect them.

However, Adeyemi said that Nigeria has continued to lead in the international best practices using periodic and scientific assessments in anti-corruption efforts.

He said: “Nigeria has recorded positive improvement.

“In 2023, the result shows that about 70 percent of citizens that have been asked to take bribes refused to do so, which shows that efforts are really working. 

“The survey also shows the willingness of Nigerians to confront corruption. 

“The report further indicated the number of actions taken as a result of reporting.

“For instance, out of the total number of cases reported by citizens, a formal procedure was taken and 45 percent of cases were initiated against officers, which is an increase from 25 percent in 2019.”

The Country Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, Danilo Campisi, said that Nigeria has demonstrated commitment in the fight against corruption. 

Campisi commended the government for the considerable implementation of anti-corruption processes and stressed the need to prioritise prevention and encourage behavioural changes among Nigerians, especially the youth. 

He clearly pointed out that the best way to protect whistleblowers is through the confidentiality of information.