By Cajetan Mmuta
The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has promised to implement the Federal Government Whistleblowing Policy to help his administration to promote transparency, accountability and good governance in the state.

He also pledged to reward any law-abiding citizen, who evidently exposed any corrupt government officials, contractors and other elective leaders involved in manifest sleaze.

Soludo states this during the one-day step-down training/meeting on strengthening the capacity of stakeholders on the Whistleblowing Policy, held at Aguata local government Council Secretariat conference hall, Ekwulobia.

He warned the staff to be sure of whatever they are blowing the whistle on.

The Whistleblowing Policy was introduced in 2016 by the Federal Government with the aim to increase exposure to financial crimes; support the fight against financial crimes and corruption; improve the level of public confidence in public entities and enhance transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

Speaking through the Transition Committee Chairman of Aguata Council Area of the State, Dr. Chibueze Ofobuike, he said the whistleblowers would also be given adequate government protection, stressing that the reward would depend on the nature of the case.

While describing the policy as a welcome development, Dr. Ofobuike, charged the participating stakeholders to be bold enough to expose any corrupt public officeholders, contractors, politicians, President Generals of communities and other elective officers of any wrongdoing in their various Constituencies.

He told the stakeholders that governor Soludo, is interested of the programme in the state, being a true Democrat. And that he has promised to implement the policy in his administration to help promote transparency, accountability and good governance.

The organiser and Coordinator of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Dr. Chidi Onuma, said AFRICMIL in collaboration with International Peace and Civil Responsibility Centre (IPCRC), said the aim of the programme was to train people at the rural areas who would volunteer and be bold enough to monitor Constituency and government projects and report any wrongdoing, if any, to anti-graft agencies; EFCC, ICPC, AFRICMIL or the State designated anti-graft agency for prompt action.

Represented at the training by the Senior Programme Officer of AFRICMIL, Mr Godwin Onyeacholem, he told the trained whistleblowers that their reports should be true, factual and with evidence to back them up, to avoid reprisal.

He said they can equally report anonymously via www.partnersunited.org, assuring them of 100 percent protection.

According to Onyeacholem, AFRICMIL, is a non-governmental organisation focusing on media, information research, advocacy and training. It aims to promote media and information Literacy as a key component in the enhancement of democracy and good governance, and the promotion of accountability and an orderly society.

“Since 2017, AFRICMIL, has been working on a project tagged Corruption Anonymous (CORA), which is supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The project is designed to build public confidence and support for the whistleblowing policy of the government of Nigeria.”

“And in a bid to ensure a successful implementation of the CORA project, AFRICMIL, has built strategic alliances with relevant stakeholders, like the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), a unit in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning that is charged with the responsibility of managing the Whistleblowing Policy, the anti-corruption agencies, civil society organisations, a coalition of public interest Lawyers and of course, the media,” he added.

Chairman, Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET), Prince Chris Azor, commended governor Soludo, for providing a conducive environment for the programme.

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He noted that a lot needed to be done in terms of the protection of whistleblowers across the country.

He said that people are worried that whistleblowers don’t have adequate protection, not necessarily protection in terms of their lives, but also loss of jobs.

“We need to ensure that public servants and community volunteers are given adequate protection, especially in terms of job security because if people know that they will lose their jobs, they will not be inclined to whistleblowing policy”

“The whistle-blowing policy could be a powerful tool in the hands of Nigerians when the gaps were filled because the government could not be everywhere.”

“It is the individuals who know their communities, LGAs, State and the many wrongdoings going on there. So, we empower people through information, by creating a platform that they have confidence in.

“They need to know that if they report any case, their lives will be protected, their jobs will be secured and ultimately nobody is going to punish them for the action they have taken. And I strongly believe, it will help in creating confidence in the system, Azor explained.”

The one-day training programme with the Theme; Community Based Organisations As Change Agents In Promoting Whistleblowing, attracted participants across the three Senatorial District of the State.