The Role of Whistle Blowing Policy as an Anti-Corruption Tool in Nigeria

Abstract

The Role of Whistle Blowing Policy as an Anti-Corruption Tool in Nigeria Sylvester Anya, Gabriel Iwanger Abstract The menace of corruption has bedeviled Nigeria over the years. Several statutory and policy attempts have been devised to arrest this ill, with hardly a positive result. The present administration tackles corruption in Nigeria through the whistle blowing policy. Although the policy was received with mixed feelings, it recorded tremendous success at the initial stage. However, the story subsequently changed. The decline may be attributed to the number of problems the policy created more than it sought to solve. One of the major challenges associated with this policy is lack of legislation facilitating it. Similarly, the policy is more interested in recovering funds than in punishing the actors behind the act thus vitiating the punitive objective of the criminal justice system which serves as deterrence. The whistle blower seems inadequately protected. This paper seeks to examine the law and practice of whistle blowing policy in Nigeria vis-a-vis what is obtainable in some jurisdictions. It submits that the current legal practice is inadequate to strengthen the policy in Nigeria. This work finds that unless some global standards and practices are adopted, the fight against corruption in Nigeria through the whistle blowing policy may be counterproductive. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jlcj.v7n1a4