Whistle Blower Bill: Stakeholders Urge Speedy Passage

Some stakeholders have called on the executive to prevail on the National Assembly to ensure speedy passage of the “Proceeds of Crime and Whistle blower Bills’’ pending before the National Assembly.
They made the calls in separate interviews with newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
According to the stakeholders, the calls have become imperative as there is the need to ensure that legislation is put in place to protect whistle-blowers.
This, they said would also go a long way in ensuring that the Federal Government’s “Whistle blower’’ policy was effective.
Our correspondent reports that the bills, seeking to protect persons making disclosure for public interest (Whistle blowers) to be protected from the knowledge or aggression of the accused was sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujimi from Ekiti South.
The bill was read the first time on the floor of Senate on 15th of March, 2016, while the second reading came six months after the first reading October 20, 2016.
Mr Niyi Akinsiju, the National Coordinator, United Action for Change, said that the bills when passed into law would protect individuals who make disclosures in public interest from reprisal attacks.
Akinsiju said the bills would also ensure that information provided by such whistle blowers were thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies.
He expressed concern that the National Assembly had not shown interest in the passage of the bill.
The national coordinator urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), groups, as well as other Nigerians to continue to make it a subject of advocacy at all levels.
Akinsiju said its organisation, which promotes good governance and citizen participation, had also proposed the whistleblower protection law at the state level.
A legal practitioner, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), expressed concern over the delay in the passage of the bills.
He urged the assembly to as a matter of urgency passed the bills.