The whistleblowing policy of the Nigerian Government has recouped N594.09 billion since its implementation in 2016.
According to This Day, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Muhammed Dikwa, while speaking at a workshop on the overview of the whistleblowing policy in Nigeria with the theme, “Implementation of the whistleblowing policy in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Way forward”, disclosed that the policy, which is a globally acceptable standard, would continue to exist and serve Nigeria.
Dr Dikwa disclosed that whistleblowing policy was established to fight corruption, and other financial crimes, including the violation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA); elimination of ghost workers syndrome; staff collecting double salaries in more than one organization, ministries, departments or agencies (MDAs) and retirees without proper records but still collecting salaries.
However, the Permanent Secretary stated that in order to show commitment to the elimination of over blotted cost of governance, wastages and leakages in government, there is a need for the legislation of the policy by the Federal Government.
Dr Dikwa urged for the people in charge of putting together the whistleblowing and witness protection bill 2019, to finish up and forward to the National assembly for ratification in order to provide a legal backing/administrative guide for the policy.
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Meanwhile, according to Dr Dikwa, though the policy has reportedly helped reduced corruption in both civil and criminal cases, it faces numerous problems which include lack of proper legal framework, poor funding, lack of coordination and diverse information among relevant organizations, not following the proper channel to give information, and fake information.
Dikwa stated that the whistleblowing policy, which is a work in progress has come to stay. He urged stakeholders to work assiduously towards legalizing and institutionalizing the policy to meet international best practices which other comity of nations have adopted over the years.
Nigerian civil servants are protected from the bad decisions they make while in office by the following.
* ability to own more than one real-estate property at any time (active and retired)
* pensions
*ability to engage in rental related businesses. (active and retired)
*ability to pass on significant wealth to children and family members without any major inheritance tax.
Nigerian could be buring down, and they will not know it as they live comfortably in a bubble. this is bad for a developing nation or any nation at all and there is no fight on corruption that will stop the continuous bad decision being made in public office by these civil servants. as corruption itself is a symptom of rent-seeking.
* Nigeria needs a 80% inheritance tax especially for those in civil service.
* Nigeria needs a law to stop people from engaging in civil service if they have more than one real-estate property, and a law that stops retired civil servants from acquiring more than one real-estate property after service.
* Nigeria also needs a law that stops civil servants (active or retired) from engaging in any rental related business.
Nairametrics you need to tell us how many civil servants engage in rental related businesses, how much of our real-estate rental business in Nigeria is dominated by civil servants (active or retired)