Tinubu will submit whistleblowing bills to NASS in few weeks – Edun
By Matthew Denis
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun has disclosed that President Ahmed Tinubu will soon present the whistleblowing policy to the National Assembly for legislation in few weeks.
The Minister made the disclosure during a meeting a one day sensitization workshop tagged “Implementing the whistle-blowing policy in Nigeria issues, challenges and the way forward’ held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mr. Edun explained that the Federal Government expects the support of Nigerians in making the policy work towards enhancing transparency and accountability.
The policy does provide mechanisms for protection and it is our duty to uphold these provisions and support those who come forward in the interest of the public,” the minister said.
“Those who are public-spirited, brave, courageous, committed, and determined to do the right thing must, should, and will be protected.
“It’s a fact that a successful whistleblowing policy involves receiving verifiable reports, conducting thorough investigations to authenticate them, and taking appropriate action to enforce compliance with the law.”
The minister stated that the whistleblowing policy is part of the government’s strategy to ensure that the nation’s public institutions operate with integrity.
He also said that the policy would make public institutions remain accountable to Nigerians who have been empowered by the policy to remain as a watchdog over all that happens, particularly in the public space, with the finances and with resources that belong to the masses.
Also his part, the Director of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audits (PICA) Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Yusuf Sulehas revealed that within a few months of introduction of the whistleblowing policy the government has recovered a very huge amount of money stolen.
He said ” there must be a legal framework to drive the policy and give adequate protection to whistleblowers as indicated in the bill.
” Whistleblowers should be adequately rewarded and recognized in their communities as heroes and heroines to encourage more whistleblowers.”
The Director stressed that the recovery from the whistleblowing scheme should be injected infrastructural development for the public to benefit.
He tasked the participants and stakeholders to collaborate with government agencies especially the anti graft agencies in ensuring that the whistleblowing policy to achieve it ultimate goals.
