ECOWAS, stakeholders chat on Whistle blower strategy

ITRealms:

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and stakeholders in the region are charting way forward on the essence of a Whistleblower Protection Strategy, reports ITRealms. 

This is coming as a fallout of a two-day meeting on advocacy and sensitization held in Cotonou, Benin Republic on the 22^nd and 23^rd of February 2017, facilitated by the ECOWAS Commission, to sensitize Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Media practitioners and operational staff of National Anti-corruption Institutions in Benin Republic on the ECOWAS Whistleblower Protection Strategy.

The meeting also stressed the need for a robust advocacy on the enactment of a stand-alone law on whistleblower protection in Benin Republic.

ITRealms also reports that the meeting ended with increased collective consciousness on the necessity of up-holding the values of integrity and transparency in the management of public resources in the region.

Participants at the meeting agreed that stakeholders should be encouraged to use Whistleblowing as part of their strategy to promote transparency in the management of public resources and holding government accountable in Benin Republic.

They also underscored the need for the enactment and effective implementation of a dedicated national legislation to engender comprehensive protection of whistle-blowers in the country while urging the country’s National Assembly to expedite actions on promulgating a stand-alone legislation for the protection of whistle-blowers.

Other relevant offices such as the Prosecutor-General and agencies such as security forces were urged to put special protection measures in place to advance the cause of whistle blowing. 

The participants urged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Benin, in collaboration with Social Watch to facilitate joint training programmes on security forces, CSOs and Media practitioners’ relations on the promotion of whistleblowing culture and protection of whistleblowers in Benin Republic.

The Benin Republic chapter of the ECOWAS Civil Society Organizations Platform on Transparency and Accountability in Governance (ECSOPTAG) was launched by the fact of the meeting.

Participants rose after commending the ECOWAS Commission for its commitment to advancing the promotion of good governance and whistleblowing as viable strategy for the fight against corruption in Benin Republic.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Andre Sagbo, General Secretary, Ministry of Justice of Benin, leaders of CSOs, anti-corruption networks, and United Nations agencies including the ECOWAS Commission Director, Political Affairs Dr. Remi Ajibewa, and other key stakeholders involved in the promotion of integrity governance in the Republic of Benin.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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AFRICMIL explains essence of whistle blower support initiative

ITRealms:

The African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has explained why it launched a civil society whistle blower project named Corruption Anonymous, reports ITRealms.

According to the Coordinator, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy, Chido Onumah, ‘Corruption Anonymous’ aims at create public confidence and acceptance of the new Whistle Blower Initiative of the Nigerian government.

The project, he also said, seeks to use citizens to win the war against corruption and enhance accountability in public office by providing a mechanism for anonymous reporting that is acceptable, credible and effective. 

“Considering the endemic nature of corruption in Nigeria and the cost and challenge of prosecuting corruption, it is important to support any initiative that has the potential to prevent and, therefore, reduce corruption,” Onumah said, stressing that winning the war on corruption requires urgent holistic attention and a creative response that is both civil society oriented and sustainable.

He noted that because of Nigeria’s weak institutions and how systemic corruption is in virtually all areas of public and corporate Nigeria, it will take more than government intervention to sustain the war on corruption.

“Given the opportunity, citizens can do something about corruption,” he said.

The overall goal of Corruption Anonymous, he said, is to strengthen the capacity of citizens and civil society to contribute to the success of the anti-corruption war by keying into the new whistle blower initiative, increasing patronage and support for the initiative as well as creating confidence in the system that the information citizens volunteer is not only used but that whistle blowers are protected.

Further, he said, Corruption Anonymous will bring together three interrelated stakeholders in the fight against corruption, namely: anticorruption agencies, the media and civil society to produce a synergy that would make the whistle blower policy sustainable. 

“The recent successes of the war against corruption in the country, including recovery of large sums of money linked to the efforts of whistle blowers show that people are willing to report corruption if the conditions are right,” he said.

The AFRICMIL coordinator, pointed out the need for a whistle blower legislation so that they are not left at the mercy of offenders, just as the project will support advocacy for the passage of the Whistle Blower (Protection) bill.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE 

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