An overview habeeb abdulrauf salihu department of criminology and security studies university of ilorin, nigeria. Refer to pal pensions website or the commissions website 6 obligation of the whistleblower in making whistleblowing reports, the whistleblower should ensure that. Whistle blowing also calls upon the virtues, especially courage, as standing up for principles can be a punishing experience. Internal being within a particular organization, industry, company. Whistle blowing is the act of reporting of alleged unethical conduct of employees, management, directors and other stakeholders by an employee or other person to appropriate authorities. The paper concluded, among others, that whistleblowing policy has assisted antigraft agencies in fighting corruption in nigeria. It collected data from both primary and secondary sources. The paper examined the problems and prospects of whistle blowing as anticorruption strategy in nigeria using qualitative research method. This policy is designed to deal with concerns raised in relation to specific issues which are in the public interest and detailed below. Seek legal advice to ensure your policy is updated appropriately. Whistleblowing ponsibilitiesare whistleblowing policies and procedures documented and communicated across the organisation. You can refer to the new section in the amendment entitled duty to inform employee or worker for the finer timing detail. The federal government of nigeria, fmfwhistle is a secure, online portal through which information bordering on violation of financial regulations, mismanagement of public funds and assets, financial malpractice or fraud and theft that is deemed to be in the interest of the public can be disclosed. The term whistleblowing can be defined as raising a concern about a wrong doing within an organization.
One of the measures already yielding positive results is the whistleblowing policy, which gives a percentage of recovered looted public fund to the whistleblower, an unprecedented policy. The whistle blowing policy was recently adopted by buhariled administration but yet to be passed. The returns should reach the director, financial policy and regulation department not later than 7 days after the end of each quarter. This whistleblowing policy was developed in accordance with the central bank of nigeria s cbn guidelines for whistleblowing for banks and other financial institutions in nigeria guidelines, which require that banks and other financial institutions in nigeria implement a whistleblowing policy and procedure to encourage stakeholders to. Information available at the federal ministry of finance, fmf website says the whistle blowing programme is designed to encourage anyone with information about a violation of financial regulations, mismanagement of public funds and assets, financial malpractice, fraud and theft to report it. Key features of the program include the launch of an online portal for submission of tips and the establishment of a reward for information that directly leads to the voluntary return. Whistleblowing and the bank of england bank of england. Whistleblowers have changed the course of history, from deep throat during the watergate scandal of the 1970s to former enron executive sherron watkins releasing details of the. Objectives of the policy this policy aims to set out the banks written, formal whistle. Evidence from nigeria the legal framework to fighting corruption has been less effective probably because it is evidencebased.
Whistleblowing policy pensions fund administrators in nigeria. Whistle blowing frequently asked questions federal ministry. The role of whistle blowing policy as an anticorruption. According to the intent of this policy, and in line with the cbn guidelines, whistle blowing is the reporting of alleged unethical conduct of employees, management, directors and other stakeholders by an employee or other person to appropriate authorities. The nigerian whistleblowing policy encourages whistleblowers to provide information in respect of 1 mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets, 2 collection or soliciting of bribes, 3 diversion of revenues, 4 making of fraudulent and unapproved payments, 5 splitting of contracts. As a tool for fighting corruption, whistle blowing has proven to be effective in many parts of the world. Although the fundamental right of private and family life is guaranteed by the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria, the policy or legislation which would regulate the whistleblowing programme must also guarantee that the ministry will put in best practices to protect the data of every. The policy seems to be a stopgap measure pending the passage of the whistleblower protection bill pdf, which is meant to protect persons who expose financial improprieties and corruption in. Essential things to know about whistle blowing in nig eria whistle blowing act in nigeria, cases of whistleblowing in nigeria, nigeria whistleblower website, whistle blowing portal, whistleblower protection bill 2015, whistle blowing policy in nigeria pdf, nigeria whistle blower portal, whistle blowing policy and procedure, efcc portal. Abstract in nigeria, as in many countries of the world, mechanism for fighting corrupt practices has been a subject of constant debate and discussion among stakeholders. Corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of every system in nigeria. The minister of finance, kemi adeosun, said that this is to enable patriotic citizens report criminal acts such as mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets, like properties and vehicles. This citibank nigeria limited citi nigeria whistleblowing policy policy was developed in accordance with the central bank of nigerias cbn.
Pdf one of the most direct methods of exposing corruption in corporate or public institutions is whistleblowing. On december 21, 2016, nigeria s federal ministry of finance approved a whistleblowing program as part of the nigerian governments continued efforts to fight corruption. The effects of the policy as well as the challenges associated with it are examined in part four, while part five concludes the paper. The policy also seeks to make sure that the works of whistle blowers are encouraged by protecting the interest of whistle blowers and save them from intimidation and harassment from those who are exposed by them. However, the act of whistleblowing in nigeria is not common. Pal pensions does not have access to the whistleblowing reports ensuring that the whistleblower is fully protected.
Whistleblowing policy in nigeria is an anticorruption programme that encourages people to. Nevertheless, the police can prosecute,15 subject to constitutional provision. The role of whistle blowing policy as an anticorruption tool in. Code of corporate governance and guidelines for whistle. Other manifestations of corruption in nigeria include admission fraud, grade trading and all. The nexus stages and sequences of whistle blowing benefits and risks associated with whistle blowing global legislation and policies in support of whistle blowing contextual factors that militate against whistle blowing in nigeria. The role of whistle blowing policy as an anticorruption tool. Effective whistleblowing mechanisms in the public sector.
One of the most direct methods of exposing corruption in corporate or public institutions is whistleblowing. Whistleblowing definition and meaning collins english. A whistleblower is a person who voluntarily discloses to the federal government of. Whistle blowing means a disclosure of information made by an employee or contractor, an external.
Implications for criminal justice and the due process of the investigation and his involvement in the alleged crime. One major advantage of this policy is that, it will discouraged financial crimes, and as well. The concern must be a genuine concern about a crime, criminal offence, miscarriage of justice, dangers to health and safety of the environment etc. An effective policy that encourages whistleblowing enables employers to find out when something is going wrong in time to take necessary corrective action. This study investigated the extent to which whistleblowing predicted corruption perception index cpi score, the extent to which employees engaged in whistleblowing, and why. The paper concluded, among others, that whistleblowing policy has assisted anti graft agencies in fighting corruption in nigeria. The objective of this paper is to investigate effective whistleblowing mechanisms in the public sector. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Whistle blowing policy in nigeria information guide in. Does the whistleblowing policy ensure that it is both safe and acceptable for employees to raise concerns about wrongdoing. The whistle blowing policy aims to create an environment where employees, vendors. A whistleblowing committee with legal practitioners, technology experts, and members of the nigeria police force criminal investigation and intelligence department. The evolution of the whistle blowing policy of the federal government came as a result of the deepening financial crises confronting the nation which is the effect of the high level of corruption reflected in in the theft and diversion of.
Criminal justice process, due process, whistle blowing policy, corruption, nigeria 1. Apart from the billions of dollars lost annually to corruption in the public and private sectors, almost all the social, political, ethnocultural and. The policy should also not just guarantee the safety of the whistleblowers but must prescribe a structure to back up the guarantee. Were the whistleblowing procedures arrived at through a consultative process.
Whistleblowing is when a worker reports suspected wrongdoing at work. Aug 04, 2017 the need to guarantee the privacy of data. The position of nigerian legislation in banking 2015 41 journal of law. Protected disclosures act amendments whistle blowers. She stated that the policy, which commenced in 2016, is now. Nigerias whistleblower policy niyi akinnaso dec 27, 2016 punch newspapers 8. African journal of criminology and justice studies. Reporting unethical conductwhistle blowing the central bank of nigeria cbn wants to reiterate its commitment to its established policy of zero tolerance standard of honesty and integrity as it relates to its members of staff performing their duties in your institution. Whistle blowing in the public sector markkula center for. Even though laws are supposed to protect whistle blowers from retaliation, people who feel threatened by the revelations can ostracize the whistle blower, marginalizing or even forcing him or her out of public office. Whistle blowing policy in nigeria is an anticorruption programme that encourages people to voluntarily disclose information about fraud, bribery, looted government funds, financial misconduct, government assets and any other form of corruption or theft to the nigeria s federal ministry of finance. Nigeria can be traced to corruption in one way or another.
While it would be unjust to disregard this effort, the cbn guidelines fall short of offering a robust. Whistle blowing policy has been in the operation in nigeria especially, within the banking sector. First bank of nigeria fbn 2016, in his ethical report stated that, the central bank of nigeria 2012 guideline section 3. Abuja, nigeria whistle blowing is catching on in nigeria with many revelations never before imagined and it seems to have made it easy to locate funds hitherto hidden from prying eyes the 19 paragraph framework which has been hailed as the secrete magic of all time was made public after a meeting of the federal. The federal government of nigeria has finally taken a major step in the right direction by initiating a whistleblower policy. Dec 27, 2016 the federal government of nigeria has finally taken a major step in the right direction by initiating a whistle blower policy. Head, compliance the kpmg whistleblowing line email o 234 1 4227777 or 234 1 2717739 email.
The position of nigerian legislation in banking fola adeyemo doctoral candidate and research associate, centre for international public law, brunel university. Whistleblowing is an early warning system to avert possible risks to the organisation. The whistle blowing wb policy mandates the infrastructure bank plc tib to render quarterly returns to the central bank of nigeria cbn and nigeria deposit insurance company ndic on all related breaches. The federal government of nigeria, fmfwhistle is a secure, online portal through which. Whistle blowing policy and the fight against corruption in nigeria. The federal government of nigeria introduced a whistle blowing policy in 2016 based on the whistleblower act. Whistleblowing reports can be made internally to the company, through any of the following whistleblowing channels. Whistle blowing policy in nigeria information guide in nigeria. These are examples of the very scenarios that the 2017 amendments to south africas protected disclosures act seek to address in support of the acts primary objectives.
The whistleblowing policy was recently adopted by buhariled administration but yet to be passed. Regardless of the time taken, the whistleblower must be notified of the conclusion reached as soon as possible. The nigeria whistle blowers act is a law that protects individuals who work for the government or organizations and report misconduct in their organizations. Whistle blowing is the act of telling the authorities or the public that the organization. Process for whistleblowing free related pdf documents sept. Whistle blowing policy lsetf lagos state employment trust. They are encouraged to expose any kind of information or activity that is illegal or unethical. Whistle blowing policy and the fight against corruption in. Problems and prospects in nigeria dauda, kazeem oluwaseun. Corruption in nigeria, just like in many other countries in the world, is an existential problem. Calls are answered by trained personnel who understand the concerns of. According to the intent of this policy, and in line with the cbn guidelines, whistleblowing is the. Whistle blowing policy as a mechanism for energizing the war against corruption in nigeria silk ugwu ogbu, phd. Whistleblowing policy and anticorruption struggle in nigeria.
Quite a number of countries, including nigeria, have introduced a whistleblowing policy. In a society like nigeria with complex socioeconomic and political relations and a notorious history of corruption, the risks associated with whistleblowing for the whistleblower are minimally curtailed where a comprehensive and effectively implemented legal framework exits. Federal government of nigeria federal ministry of finance. Apr 16, 2017 one of the measures already yielding positive results is the whistle blowing policy, which gives a percentage of recovered looted public fund to the whistleblower, an unprecedented policy that. Criminal justice process, due process, whistle blowing policy, corruption, nigeria abstract corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of every system in nigeria. The corruption in nigerias whistleblowing policy punch. Part three treats the application of whistle blowing policy in nigeria with the aim of determining the extent the policy has gone in checking corruption in nigeria. This whistle blowing policy was developed in accordance with the central bank of nigeria s cbn guidelines for whistle blowing for banks and other financial institutions in nigeria guidelines, which require that banks and other financial institutions in nigeria implement a whistleblowing policy and procedure to encourage stakeholders to. Abstract whistleblowing can be a highly instrumental tool in curtailing corruption the banking industry. Within the first six months, the whistle blowing policy in nigeria, officially launched by the federal ministry of. School of media and communication, pan atlantic university, km 52 lekkiepe expressway, ibejulekki, lagosnigeria.
Applicability the whistle blowing policy is applicable to all of transcorps employees, the board, vendors, clients or business partners, and any other stakeholder who has an interest in the company. A good start, but not enough posted on may 19, 2017 by ashley demming on december 21, 2016, nigerias federal ministry of finance approved a whistleblowing program as part of the nigerian governments continued efforts to fight corruption. The lack thereof thus, exacerbates the risks for the whistleblower. The paper examined the problems and prospects of whistleblowing as anticorruption strategy in nigeria using qualitative research method. Citi nigeria whistleblowing policy policy page 5 of 6 2. A positive whistleblowing culture is a critical element in the success of any risk management system. The federal government of nigeria, fmf whistle is a secure, online portal through which information bordering on violation of financial regulations, mismanagement of public funds and assets, financial malpractice or fraud and theft that is deemed to be in the interest of the public can. Issues and challenges wasiu abiodun makinde department of public administration, obafemi awolowo university, ile ife, nigeria. Regulations act, public procurement act and other extant laws. Pray for nigeria, gbajabiamila urges christians 12042020 the speaker of the house of representatives rep. Within the nigeria policy of whistleblowing, the policy is of two kinds.
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