The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged the National Assembly to enact a robust whistleblower protection law to strengthen the fight against corruption and shield informants from reprisals.
Olukoyede made the call in Calabar during a nationwide sensitisation programme on Nigeria’s whistleblowing policy, stressing that individuals who expose corruption must be protected from victimisation. He noted that the absence of a strong legal framework discourages citizens from coming forward with vital information.
“I reiterate that we need a robust Act of the National Assembly to protect those who risk their lives to disclose corruption in this country,” he said, adding that bureaucratic bottlenecks also delay the payment of financial rewards promised to whistleblowers.
The EFCC boss further lamented that only a few countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including Ghana and Senegal, have enacted whistleblower protection laws despite widespread corruption challenges in the region.
Represented by the acting Uyo Zonal Director of the EFCC, Oshodi Johnson, Olukoyede emphasised that whistleblowing should be driven by patriotism and the desire to prevent the looting of public funds, rather than solely for financial incentives. He also called on lawmakers to domesticate provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, particularly Article 33, which provides safeguards for individuals who report corrupt practices.
, Ola Olukoyede, has urged the National Assembly to enact a robust whistleblower protection law to strengthen the fight against corruption and shield informants from reprisals.){kind=link}