United States’ John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has charged people to embrace whistle-blowing policy to eradicate societal wrongdoings.
Speaking at a one-day step-down training/meeting on strengthening the capacity of stakeholders in the whistleblowing policy in Ilorin on Friday, the Kwara State coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Barrister Jumoke Olaoye, said that all acts of wrongdoings must not be swept under the carpet.
Barrister Olaoye said that wrongdoings should be properly disclosed with adequate and cogent information, ensuring that such information would be treated with utmost anonymity by the appropriate bodies.
She also enjoined members of every community to encourage whistleblowing policy whenever they detect any form of misappropriation of funds on community projects, data misrepresentation, discrimination, criminal activities, unethical treatment, as well as unjust or unruly behaviour in workplace, schools, and religious institutions.
Earlier in his welcome address, the coordinator, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, (AFRICMIL), Chido Onumah, represented by the programme manager, Mr Kolawole Ogunbiyi, said that there is a need to combat corruption through early detection and exposure of every mismanagement, bribery, fraud, theft of public funds and other illicit acts, adding such are effective tools in the fight against corruption.
Onumah also said that one of the best ways to expose illicit acts is a whistleblowing policy, adding that as Nigerian citizens, “we can not keep quiet on any act of corruption”.
Also speaking at the training, the community chairman of Bode Sadu, Oba Lambe Jimoh, represented by Mr Ajadi Jimoh, said that the training was capable of exposing people to how to fight for their rights and how to go about it when their rights are violated.
Also present at the training were the Chief Imam of Bode Sadu, Alhaji Ibrahim Nuhu Baba, head market women and Iyalaje of Bode Sadu, Chief Mrs Oseni Belawi Ramat Shehu, who said that the training had assisted the people in living a better life in the society.