Why whistle-blowing is low nowadays – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said its new policy of prosecuting false whistle blowers has been the major reason behind reduction in the flow of whistle blowing claims.

The head of Economic Governance unit, EFCC Kano office, Sanusi Aliyu Mohammed, disclosed this during a one-day training workshop for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on budget tracking and project monitoring in Northern Nigeria organised by the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Bayero University Kano (BUK).

He said the commission will not be in the middle trying to please some people who have grudges with others adding that whatever information a whistle blower have to give the commission must be genuine.

According to him, the commission has prosecuted two whistle blowers over false information adding that, if a whistle blower is sure of his/her information, he/she should free to come forward with it and the commission will surely act on it as an anti-corruption agency.

“While we encourage whistle blowing policy, at the same time we will not subject ourselves to legal tussle with people on false information,” he said.

Similarly, in a paper titled: “Civil Society Organizations and the fight against Corruption in Nigeria – Challenges and Prospects,” delivered by the Director, Bayero University Press, Professor Habu Muhammed, he outlined the critical role played by CSOs in the fight against corruption and what they need to do more.