Corruption in Nigeria is no doubt a major obstacle to the development of various sectors of the economy. Despite being criminalized by several laws, the practice of corruption in the country has remained at an all-time high with each passing administration.
As Nigeria ranks 149 out of 180 countries in the 2020 Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, recent happenings in the anti-corruption war further reveals apparent efforts by some government officials as being anti the fight against corruption.
This view is not unconnected to the current travails of the whistle blower, Mahdi Shehu who made damaging revelations bordering on corruption against the government of Katsina State and its high ranking state officials, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sometime in 2020 highlights one of the self-contradictions in the anti-corruption war being waged by the government at various levels in the country.
Globally, whistle blowers like Mahdi Shehu are recognized as indispensable agents in fighting national and transnational crimes. Article 33 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption which was ratified by Nigeria in 2004, encourages state parties to incorporate into the domestic legal system appropriate measures to provide adequate protection of whistle blowers from any unjustified treatment. In the same vein, Articles 5(5)(6) and (7) of the African Union Convention on Prevention and Combatting Corruption requires members states to make laws that will protect whistle blowers and sanction those who give false information against others.
Sadly, despite the approval of a whistle blower policy by the Federal Executive Council in December 2016, the protection of whistle blowers is not explicitly supported by law due to the non-passage into law of the Whistle blower and Witness Protection Bill by both houses of the National Assembly. For this reason, the fight against corruption has suffered a great setback as the ongoing vilification of citizen Mahdi Shehu plays out with several invitations and investigations by different security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service (SSS), several arraignments in various courts and detention. This demonstrates the risks faced by whistle blowers. Typically information such persons share pit them against powerful political and official interests who can muster the coercive powers of the state to cower the whistle blower. However a strong legislation to protect bona fide whistle blowers from harassment can counter this threat.
War has been declared by the Buhari administration against corruption in all its forms, through several anti-corruption activities and programmes. Therefore the role of whistle blowers in this fight cannot be over-emphasized. There is need to encourage potential whistle blowers to take the risks of being identified by providing solid protection in law. In this wise, it is necessary, as a matter of urgency, for the National Assembly to ensure the passage of the Whistle blower and Witness Protection Bill to assure future whistle blowers of the full protection of the law.