WHISTLE BLOWING: WHAT IS THE FATE OF WHISTLE BLOWERS?

GEOFFREY ONYEAMA

Has the “Whistle-blowing” policy of the Federal Government suffered a deathly blow?

Many concerned Nigerians have begun to pick holes in the policy following reports of victimization by “whistle blowers” by employers. But what has made it more worrisome is the case of a staff of the Foreign Affairs Ministry who has been allegedly relieved of his appointment.

   

When the whistle-blowing policy was put in place three months ago, the hope was that it would provide agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with actionable tips to track and recover stolen government funds. So far, this appears to mostly be the case.

According to the Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed in early February, the government had recovered a total of $160m and N8bn with the aid of informants who blew the whistle on alleged theft of public funds.

The Minister said the looted funds, which did not include the $9.2 million in cash allegedly owned by a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, were recovered from just three sources through whistle-blowers who he said gave actionable information to the Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).

He said that the $9.2 million cash and others were also dividends of the whistle-blower policy.

The Minister had also encouraged Nigerians to support the policy pledging the government's commitment to full protection and restitution for any informant against harassment, intimidation or victimization.

This has however turned out not to be the case as the policy has been hit with controversy in recent times following the sack of Ntia Thompson, a whistle-blower at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Media reports say Thompson was fired after sending a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, asking it to probe an allegation of fraud involving some top officials of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, DTCA.

Mr. Thompson, an Assistant Director with the DTCA in charge of the SERVICOM Unit, who blew the lid on how $229,000 and N800, 000 were allegedly diverted, was sacked on February 7.

Information revealed that officials of the DTCA allegedly withdrew the money for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the NTCF, for which $36,852.00 was allocated. The amount was also meant for the monitoring of various projects executed from the Trust Fund across Africa.

About N800,000 was also allegedly spent for SERVICOM “sensitization seminar” in the Directorate.

Amid concerns the funds may have been diverted, Mr. Thompson petitioned the EFCC to investigate the allegation. He also petitioned the Police Inspector General, Ibrahim Idris, expressing concerns about his safety.

The anti-graft agency launched an investigation into the petition, but its effort only resulted in compelling the officials to refund about N800, 000, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Shortly after, the DTCA management issued Mr. Thompson a query, accusing him of leaking official information to the Commission and thus subjecting the agency to public ridicule and embarrassment.

On December 19, 2016, Mr. Thompson was served a suspension letter and, after two months on suspension, he was sacked on February 7, 2017.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, waded into the issue giving the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, a seven-day ultimatum to recall Mr. Thompson who was sacked after exposing a $229,000 fraud.

In an open letter sent to Mr. Onyeama, SERAP requested the minister to use his position to facilitate the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of Mr. Thompson.

“By sacking Mr. Thompson, your Ministry would seem to shield information on the alleged fraud that the public has a right to know”.

“Therefore, should you fail and/or neglect to act as requested within seven days after the receipt and/or publication of this letter, SERAP will be compelled to pursue appropriate legal action against your ministry to challenge the unfair treatment and victimization of Mr. Thompson.”

The letter, copied to Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB, also reads in part: “We also urge you to act swiftly to identify those involved in the alleged fraud and hand them over to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for further investigation and prosecution, as well as recover any stolen public funds”.

“Impunity for reprisals against Mr. Thompson would send a message to all potential whistle-blowers that your Ministry lacks the commitment to their protection”.

If cases like Mr. Thompson's continue to dominate the headlines, then the government should be prepared for the imminent failure of the whistle-blower policy. The major attraction of the whistle-blowing policy, apart from the up to 5% accrual to the whistle blower, is the anonymity promised by the government”.

The whistle blower doesn’t want to be known to avoid being persecuted and the case of Mr. Thompson Ntia surely hasn't helped in encouraging other potential whistle blowers to speak out.

But whatever the case maybe, the government, must live by its words if it hopes to encourage Nigerians to report financial and other related crimes to relevant authorities.

Since the whistle blower life is at risk if he cries out in situation whereby he feels he’s been cheated, we hope that the Federal Ministry of Finance doesn’t capitalize on this.

There will be whistle blower inside whistle blower policy; we hope that those managing the whistle blowing portal are trusted individuals so that the life of a successful whistle blower isn’t exposed to further danger as a result of leak of information regarding the original whistle blower.

The whistle blowing policy will only be successful if the government continues to fulfill its promise, and if the continued 100% protection of the whistle blower is sustained.