Press Release April 20, 2017
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), a civil society organization currently engaged in a project (Corruption Anonymous) to support the Nigerian government’s whistleblower policy, has commended the momentum the policy has brought to the war against corruption and the suspension of the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over the N13billion seized by the EFCC in a Lagos apartment.
In a statement signed by the Coordinator of the Centre, Chido Onumah, AFRICMIL expressed delight that the success so far recorded was a pointer to the fact that the policy was proving to be an effective tool in checking widespread corruption in the polity.
According Onumah, “Within so short a period the whistleblower policy has transformed the anti-corruption landscape to the extent that hitherto lukewarm citizens, the bulk of whom are direct victims of corruption, have started showing in the war against corruption by exposing hiding places of looted funds.”
The organization noted that there was no doubt that the aim of the policy was steadily being achieved with the involvement of Nigerians. It praised the government for its realization that without getting citizens to play a key role in the fight against corruption, there was no way the war would be successfully prosecuted.
AFRICMIL stated that only corrupt persons and beneficiaries of the proceeds of corruption would not be happy with the positive impact of whistleblowing since it was launched four months ago.
“We are all witnesses to the long years of orchestrated stealing and stashing away of public funds in our country. While a majority of Nigerians have been jubilating over the gradual recovery of these funds through whistleblowing, we hope that the perpetrators of this heinous crime and their accomplices would be exposed in due course,” Onumah said.
While commending government for the vision that led to the policy, the organization called for decisive action on the recent seizure by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of about N13billion from a flat in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
AFRICMIL called on government to be honest and transparent on the issue as the case had the potential of totally dismantling the whistleblower policy. “The case has presented itself as the litmus test for the effective implementation of the policy going forward. We appeal to government to treat it objectively so as not to erode the support and confidence of the people in the policy,” Onumah said.
AFRICMIL reiterated continued support and readiness to partner with government in promoting and strengthening the policy for effective implementation.
Chido Onumah
(Coordinator)
African Centre for Media & Information Literacy
