The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged the National Assembly to enact strong legislation to protect whistleblowers and strengthen transparency in the fight against corruption amid widespread reprisal in Nigeria.
According to a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Mr Olukoyede made the call on Thursday in Calabar, Cross River State, during a nationwide sensitisation programme on the implementation of Nigeria’s whistleblowing policy.
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Speaking on the theme, “Benefits of the Whistleblowing Policy in the Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria,” Mr Olukoyede stressed the need for a strong legal framework that would shield whistleblowers from victimisation and remove bureaucratic obstacles that delay access to financial rewards promised under the policy.
“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.
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The EFCC chair noted that only a few countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have enacted whistleblower protection laws.
“I find it depressing that in a region where deeply rooted corruption undermines development efforts, only Ghana and Senegal have enacted whistleblower protection laws,” he said.
Mr Olukoyede was represented at the event by the acting Uyo Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, Oshodi Johnson.
Mr Johnson said the whistleblowing policy should motivate citizens to expose corruption primarily to prevent the theft of public funds rather than solely for financial rewards.
“The appeal here is that citizens should be more interested in whistleblowing that prevents the stealing of public funds rather than focusing on recovery, because once funds are looted, they may never be fully recovered,” he said.
He also urged lawmakers to domesticate provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), particularly Article 33, which provides measures for protecting individuals who report corruption.
Background
Nigeria introduced its whistleblowing policy in 2016 to encourage citizens to report corruption and financial misconduct.
Under the programme, whistleblowers are entitled to between 2.5 and 5 per cent of recovered funds. The policy recorded early success in 2017 when a tip led to the discovery of about $43 million in cash in an apartment in Lagos.
However, analysts say the programme still lacks a comprehensive legal framework to protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that whistleblowers in Nigeria and 13 other West African countries face severe risks, including harassment, job loss, and even death, due to the absence of comprehensive legal frameworks to shield them.
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) Coordinator, Chido Onumah, described whistleblowers as “endangered species” across the region because of their relevance to the fight against corruption.
In the absence of legal protection, Mr Onumah said, whistleblowers face all kinds of retaliation ranging from stigmatisation and discrimination, dismissal from place of work, criminal sanctions and death in extreme cases for daring to take what is obviously a delicate conscious action.
Of the 15 member states in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), only Ghana has implemented legislation to protect whistleblowers.
The rest of the countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo – either lack or have insufficient legal protection for whistleblowers.
Mr Onumah said though many of these countries have adopted the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) but their lackadaisical attitude towards having a law has brought harm to many.
“We totally agree with the ECOWAS Commission that one of the best ways of giving them cover is for member states to provide a comprehensive legal framework through the whistleblowing legislation for disclosure of information and protection against any retaliation as a result of making disclosure,” he noted.
In Nigeria, many whistleblowers frequently face job termination or harassment after revealing corruption or workplace infractions, which contributed to the urgent need for legal protection.
The statement said Mr Usman, a former deputy director at JAMB, was sacked after exposing alleged procurement fraud and administrative malpractices within the agency.
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Mr Onumah stated that the former deputy director has reportedly faced a string of reprisals including termination of his appointment, criminal charges, and threats to his life.
However, in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, AFRICMIL renewed calls for a whistleblower protection law after Nigerian whistleblower Mr Usman received international recognition as the closest runner-up for the Ellsberg Whistleblower Award in Berlin, Germany.
Mr Usman was recognised for exposing alleged violations of public financial management procedures and recruitment irregularities within the examination body.
AFRICMIL said Mr Usman could not attend the award ceremony due to alleged reprisals he has faced in Nigeria, including dismissal from public service, legal battles and threats to his safety.
The organisation therefore urged the Nigerian government to urgently enact a whistleblower protection law to safeguard individuals who disclose wrongdoing in the public interest.
Participants at the EFCC event included representatives of anti-corruption agencies, lawmakers, security agencies, and other stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
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