African Anti-corruption Day: AFRICMIL urges FG on laws to protect whistleblowers - ITREALMS

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The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called on the Nigerian and other African governments that have yet to enact whistleblower protection laws to take urgent steps to do so to encourage their citizens to expose corrupt acts and other illegalities hampering good governance and accountability in the continent.

In a press statement to commemorate the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day, Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, said, “We find it most disappointing that so far only about 10 countries including Ghana and South Africa, out of the 54 countries in Africa, have put in place initiatives such as legislations to promote whistleblowing.”

When Supreme Court Justices turn whistleblowers - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

It was an unprecedented dramatic exploit, an unforced disclosure least expected from the unlikeliest of quarters. 

Inside the court at the apex of courts, the presumed fortress of judicial rectitude and the last bastion of cryptic conservatism, the Pandora’s box that has been well preserved for decades was prised open. And the stench was overpowering with allegations of missing funds and gross incompetence.  

Stop victimizing whistleblowers @NBET, AFRICMIL urges MD - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called on the MD/CEO of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Dr. Marilyn Amobi, to immediately stop the victimization of two whistleblowers, Sambo Abdullahi, Deputy General Manager and Head of Internal Audit, and Waziri Bintube, General Manager and Chief Finance Officer, reports ITREALMS.

Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL in a press statement available to ITREALMS, said the organization expressed concern over the management style of the NBET boss which has for long been overshadowed by allegations of fraud, abuse of office and harassment of both management and non-management staff. A high point of the public criticism of Dr. Amobi’s management, the statement said, “is the persistent victimization of two officers – Sambo Abdullahi and Waziri Bintube, for carrying out their duties in accordance with the rules and regulations of public service.”

“We are aware that you have stopped the salaries and other entitlements of these officers since December 2017 allegedly for offences including writing petitions and embarking on leave without approval. We are also aware that Messrs Sambo and Bintube have since been absolved of any wrongdoings after an investigation by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing which supervises NBET. Indeed, it is on record that the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, had on more than one occasion directed you to treat these officers as NBET staff and effect the payment of their outstanding salaries and other entitlements,” AFRICMIL noted in a letter to Dr Amobi. The organization said it was disturbed that Dr. Amobi had not complied with the directive of the Ministry of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

AFRICMIL reminded the NBET boss that these officers deserve commendation and protection, and not victimization, for acting as whistleblowers in line with the anti-corruption policy of the current administration.

The organisation requested Dr Amobi to take immediate steps to end the ongoing victimization of these officers by complying with the directives of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing asking that they be recalled and their outstanding salaries and allowances paid.

The AFRICMIL statement comes on the heels of a two-part investigative report published last week on the alleged fraudulent activities at NBET under Dr. Amobi, and her victimization of whistleblowers who refused to co-operate with her in the perpetration of illegality at NBET. The report by Leaks Ng was compiled by the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF).

Ayo Midele/Editor

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Stop victimization of whistle-blowers - AFRICMIL

ITREALMS:

The continued persecution of whistleblowers by agents of state is threatening the effectiveness of the whistleblower policy introduced by the government to curb endemic corruption in the Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

Coordinator, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Chido Onumah, stated this in a press statement released on Wednesday. 

He said at least two whistleblowers in the public service that were unjustly sacked for exposing financial fraud and subsequently recalled are currently going through a fresh round of victimization in form of withheld salaries. 

Mr. Onumah said it was “most disturbing that citizens who, at the risk of their personal safety, decided to heed the call of the government to blow the whistle on improper behaviour in the society are being punished, despite promises for their safety and protection.” 

He noted that abominable reprisals are continually being visited on whistleblowers in a manner that endangers whistleblowing as a tool for reducing corruption in the country. 

Mr. Onumah said Ntia Thompson, an Assistant Director in the SERVICOM unit of the Department of Technical Cooperation in Africa, an agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who later sought transfer to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and Aaron Kaase of the Press Unit of the Police Service Commission have been denied their salaries and allowances since their reinstatement.

For instance, said the statement, “As soon as Thompson who was sacked in December 2016 for reporting fraud totalling $229,000 was reinstated in July 2017, he was redeployed to the library just to frustrate him. The emotional setback resulting from that made him ask for transfer to another government office. As we speak, he has yet to be paid seven months’ salary, from the December 2016 to July 2017. 

“And as for Kaase who got a court judgment reinstating him in November 2017 but was not called back until March 2018, he has not been paid for three years now, since he was suspended without pay in May 2015 for reporting that the Chairman of the Commission, Mike Okiro, was involved in fraud of N275.5m in the Commission.”

The statement added that besides being denied his entitlements, Kaase is also being harassed with a trumped-up charge of visa scam wherein he is being falsely accused of collecting N1 million to procure US visa for somebody but failed to do so. 

“Clearly, this allegation was manufactured by those whom he had accused of fraud so as to intimidate and shut him up.” Mr Onumah said, “Although two different courts have discharged and acquitted Kaase for “lack of diligent prosecution and lack of evidence to prosecute the case, respectively, his tormentors have refused to back off”.

He said if the unfortunate development was not quickly checked whistleblowing would suffer, and this would badly affect the anti-corruption war. 

“Unless we commit to sustaining the confidence of whistleblowers by ensuring their full protection, whistleblowing will not deliver the result we all expect.” 

To save the situation, the statement urged prompt intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, “to rescue the patriotic Nigerians and save the lofty policy”. 

The organisation also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite action on the allegations raised by the two whistleblowers.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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AFRICMIL belittles FMBN over refusal to reinstate whistleblowers

ITREALMS:

The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has belittled the management of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) over refusal to reinstate whistleblowers, reports ITRealms.

FMBN, ITRealms gathered had refused to comply with the directive of Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, ordering the immediate reinstatement of two officers who were unjustly punished for blowing the whistle on corruption at the bank.

ITRealms also gathered that Mr. Murtala Ibrahim, Head of Special Investigation/ICT in the Audit Department was sacked on May 8, 2017, while his boss, Mr. Taslim Anibaba, Head of Internal Audit department, was placed on indefinite suspension on August 25, 2017.

Reacting to the situation, the Coordinator of AFRICMIL, Chido Onumah, told ITRealms these gentlemen committed no crime other than refusing to be coerced to cover up a doctored 2016 half-year financial report and other mind-boggling acts of corruption in the bank, including the N2.2billion contract for the renovation of Mamman Kontagora building.

“The bank used the manipulated 2016 financial report to fraudulently earn the commendation of Mr. Fashola, the supervising minister of the institution who was misled into believing that the bank recorded profits in the stated period when in fact it recorded a loss,” he said.

Accordingly, Fashola had ordered an investigation of the case and issued an order of immediate reinstatement of Messers Murtala Ibrahim and Taslim Anibaba but the management of FMBN has brazenly flouted the minister’s directives, refusing to reinstate the sacked and suspended staff while offering no explanation.

“It is unfortunate that the bank has refused to obey the minister’s directive. We view this as an act of gross insubordination and grave insult to the person and office of the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing,” Onumah noted.

He said the bank’s attitude constitutes serious threat not only to the successful implementation of the whistleblower policy, but also endangers the anti-corruption campaign of the current administration.

Onumah reiterated the need to ensure the safety and protection of whistleblowers, adding that if people do not get protection they are not likely to report wrongdoings. This, he said, would render the whistleblower policy ineffective.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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