Osinbajo wants whistleblower policy extended to states, LGAs

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has advocated that the Federal Government’s whistleblower policy be extended to states and local governments “as the tiers closest to the people and overseers of about half of the nation’s revenues.”

He made call yesterday in a keynote address delivered virtually at the National Conference on Whistleblower Policy organized by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning in collaboration with agencies and departments involved in the anti-corruption battle.

Osinbajo, while speaking on the need to enhance the whistleblower policy, said: “although, some progress have been achieved through this policy, especially at the federal level - with recoveries, prosecutions, and convictions; it is essential that the policy operates widely in States and Local Governments as the tiers closest to the people and overseers of about half of the nation’s revenues.

“Exposing corruption is for the good of our nation. Our goal in this regard is to harness the huge potential of the people to deliver on their moral obligation to report cases of corruption within their immediate environments.”

He also said that there should be an expansion of the scope of the current framework to include issues of public safety, security, gross mismanagement of the rights of people, and waste of resources, among others, to broaden and enhance the efficacy of the whistleblower policy.