Corruption: SSANU seeks legal protection for whistleblowers

•    Want sacked members reinstated
SENIOR staff members of universities in Nigeria have advocated for a law to protect whistleblowers in corruption cases in Nigeria.
The senior university workers under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) said in Ikogosi, Ekiti State, on Thursday that people who act as whistleblowers of corruption allegedly being perpetrated by university vice chancellors and other top officials of the nation’s universities, should be given some form of protection.
National Vice President of SSANU, Comrade Alfred Ilesanmi Jimoh, who made the call on Thursday at a two-day Western Zonal Women Conference of the body, demanded an unconditional recall and reinstatement of all members of the union sacked at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and the University of Abuja.
Apart from their reinstatement, the union leader also called for protection of their lives, jobs and property in view of the threat posed to their lives by those affected by their exposure of fraud and corruption in their institutions.
He said the union fully supports the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari, but expressed doubts about the commitment some of his aides and senior political office holders to fight the scourge.
The SSANU chief described corruption as one of the greatest problems facing the university sector stressing that the government should not look the other way when workers exposing graft and abuse of office are victimised.
“Our regret is that the government we are trying to assist by exposing corruption and impunity seems to be looking the other way while our members are being made cannon fodder and guinea pigs.
“SSANU feels seriously concerned about the problem of corruption in the university system and the Federal Government should work the talk by coming out with law and policy to protect the whistleblowers.
“We also want to call on anti-graft agencies to be expeditious in their constitutional responsibilities and also appeal to other agencies whose work is also needed to make the work of anti-corruption agencies easier.”
Jimoh called on the Federal Government to implement the 2009 Agreement reached with SSANU and pay the N150 billion arrears of earned allowances owed its members.