Falana urges NASS to pass whistle-blowing bill

Human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has
urged the National Assembly to urgently pass the Whistle-blowing
Policy Bill to tackle corruption and protect
whistleblowers.

Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated this on Thursday in
Lagos, while serving as the first speaker at the 2018 public
lecture of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and
Administrators of Nigeria.

The theme of the lecture was entitled: ‘Whistle Blowing Policy:
Issues, Benefits and Challenges’.

Falana said that the policy was an invitation to citizens to
participate in the anti-corruption policy of the government.

According to him, the constitutional right of a citizen is to
impart information, knowledge and ideas as the Constitution
provides for the protection of the citizen’s right to freedom of
expression.

“Anybody who tells the people in authority about illegal
practices is protected by the Constitution. Section 39 of the
Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and that includes
freedom to impart knowledge, information and ideas to people.

“Section 24 of the Constitution stipulates that every citizen is
legally bound to assist law enforcement agencies to expose crime in
the society to promote law and order in the society,” he said.

The human rights lawyer had earlier said that he and several
other lawyers, including Mr. Festus Keyamo and Mr. Monday Ubani,
who were speakers at the ICSAN lecture, were ready to protect
genuine whistle-blowers in the country.

“We will protect any Nigerian who is ready to give the people in
authority useful information about looted funds and other corrupt
practices, without collecting a dime,” he said.

Meanwhile, Falana called on Nigerians to elect technocrats and
professionals into the National Assembly during 2019 general
elections, “and not core politicians.”

He said that the current National Assembly members had not made
any impact because “they are mostly professional politicians who
will not pass any bill into law if it would not serve their
personal interests; even if such could be of immense benefit to the
country.”

He added, “It takes a professional to appreciate the value a
good bill, when passed into law, will have on the economy and on
the common person.”

Another speaker at the ICSAN public lecture and a consultant on
management and financial issues, Dr. Biodun Adedipe, recommended
that a legal framework should be created to solve the challenges of
rewarding and protecting whistle-blowers.

“A rate chart for reward should be developed and comprehensive
legal protection for the whistle-blower must be provided,” he
said.

Adedipe said research and advocacy on whistle-blowing had
blossomed, especially in countries where the policy had been
formalised and proven successful in curbing greed that motivates
financial crimes and other forms of errant behaviours.

He said reports from Transparency International revealed that
Nigeria’s whistle-blowing scorecard had 8,373 enquiries, while
1,231 tips had been received.

Human rights activist and lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has
urged the National Assembly to urgently pass the Whistle-blowing
Policy Bill to tackle corruption and protect
whistleblowers.

Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated this on Thursday in
Lagos, while serving as the first speaker at the 2018 public
lecture of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and
Administrators of Nigeria.

The theme of the lecture was entitled: ‘Whistle Blowing Policy:
Issues, Benefits and Challenges’.

Falana said that the policy was an invitation to citizens to
participate in the anti-corruption policy of the government.

According to him, the constitutional right of a citizen is to
impart information, knowledge and ideas as the Constitution
provides for the protection of the citizen’s right to freedom of
expression.

“Anybody who tells the people in authority about illegal
practices is protected by the Constitution. Section 39 of the
Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and that includes
freedom to impart knowledge, information and ideas to people.

“Section 24 of the Constitution stipulates that every citizen is
legally bound to assist law enforcement agencies to expose crime in
the society to promote law and order in the society,” he said.

The human rights lawyer had earlier said that he and several
other lawyers, including Mr. Festus Keyamo and Mr. Monday Ubani,
who were speakers at the ICSAN lecture, were ready to protect
genuine whistle-blowers in the country.

“We will protect any Nigerian who is ready to give the people in
authority useful information about looted funds and other corrupt
practices, without collecting a dime,” he said.

Meanwhile, Falana called on Nigerians to elect technocrats and
professionals into the National Assembly during 2019 general
elections, “and not core politicians.”

He said that the current National Assembly members had not made
any impact because “they are mostly professional politicians who
will not pass any bill into law if it would not serve their
personal interests; even if such could be of immense benefit to the
country.”

He added, “It takes a professional to appreciate the value a
good bill, when passed into law, will have on the economy and on
the common person.”

Another speaker at the ICSAN public lecture and a consultant on
management and financial issues, Dr. Biodun Adedipe, recommended
that a legal framework should be created to solve the challenges of
rewarding and protecting whistle-blowers.

“A rate chart for reward should be developed and comprehensive
legal protection for the whistle-blower must be provided,” he
said.

Adedipe said research and advocacy on whistle-blowing had
blossomed, especially in countries where the policy had been
formalised and proven successful in curbing greed that motivates
financial crimes and other forms of errant behaviours.

He said reports from Transparency International revealed that
Nigeria’s whistle-blowing scorecard had 8,373 enquiries, while
1,231 tips had been received.