The Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol has called for the reform of the Whistleblowing Policy to offer more protection and guarantees of compensation to whistle blowers in view of the dangers which they are exposed to.
He made the plea on July 27, 2023 in Calabar, Cross River State during a town hall meeting organized by the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), with the theme: “Strengthening the Whistleblowing Policy Implementation through Whistleblower Protection”.
According to a statement by the Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC boss who was represented by the Uyo Zonal Commander of the EFCC, ACE Bawa Hamidu said: “Individuals can only be willing to provide information if they are certain that they are protected by the law. Thus, in order to strengthen the whistleblowing policy, adequate measures must be put in place to ensure the protection of whistle-blowers.”
Highlighting the benefits of the Whistleblowing Policy, Chukkol said it “helps in exposing money laundering and other illicit flow of funds.
“Since the emergence of the policy, the whistleblowing programme has immensely assisted the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies in recording milestone achievements in tackling corruption and illicit cash flow”.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL said the essence of the event was to improve public consciousness on whistleblowing and help them to understand that it is their right to report wrongdoing.
He called on the general public to report corrupt practices to law enforcement agencies, whose mandate it is to tackle such cases. “AFRICMIL is encouraging our compatriots to make disclosures on fraud, corruption, theft, mismanagement of public resources and wrongdoings that negatively impact the society and we assure them of protection , when they face retaliation for doing so”, he said.