The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC,) Mr. Kayode Olukoyejo, has stressed the importance of whistleblowers in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
He said no serious achievement would be recorded without the contributions of whistleblowers in the war against corruption.
Consequently, Olukoyejo advised Nigerians to “embrace this obligation more seriously,” adding that “we cannot win the war against corruption through lip service, emotional outburst or mere mob campaigns.”
He, however, cautioned that every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs.
Olukoyejo added that “aside terrorism, corruption ranks as the next deadliest affliction of humanity in every region of the world.”
Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara State, Olukoyejo cautioned that there is punishment for false claims and misleading intelligence.
Represented by the Ilorin zonal command coordinator, Harry Erin, Olukayode on Thursday in an address read on the Occasion of 2024 African Anti-corruption Day, themed:” Deepening Anti-Corruption Fight Through Effective Whistle Blowing,” said: “there is a need for commitment, passion, consistency and credibility of intelligence. Every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs. There is punishment for false claims and misleading intelligence.”
He added: “The world over, the issue of corruption has been a bane to both local and global development.
“There can be no accurate statistical or quantitative evaluation of the havoc corruption is wreaking on genuine efforts at development because of its pervasive and recurring nature.
“In view of the danger and threat to our existence which corruption represents, it is imperative that individuals, communities, corporate bodies and indeed the whole world join hands together to tackle it frontally. One way of doing this is through the whistle-blowing initiative.”
Describing whistleblowers as anti-corruption promoters, he said through their efforts, anti-corruption agencies are alerted about environmental compromises that should be investigated.
He said, “The alert can come through verbal and non-verbal corridors. At the EFCC, the Eagle Eye app is an established corruption reporting device generating intelligence the Commission can leverage on.
“One salient fact about whistle blowing is that it shows commitment and drive towards anti-corruption. No effort is too little in this regard.
“Although there are ample rewards accruable to the whistleblower, the most important thing is the need to move the wheel of anti-corruption forward.”
He urged whistleblowers to key into this device through which mails can be sent, telephone calls can be made, and personal visits can be made to any EFCC Command across the country to expose acts of shadiness around us.
“We also assure every whistleblower of protection. EFCC will never betray you,” he stated.
Insisting that corruption affects all Nigerians, Olukoyejo added that an internet fraudster poses as much danger to our collective progress as a looter of our national treasury.
“We should not encourage their villainy by being indifferent, silent or non-committal. Whistle blowing is our own opportunity to kick against corruption. Let’s embrace it totally,” he urged.
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, represented by Olusin of Isanlu Isin, Oba Solomon Oloyede urged the commission to extend such awareness to all the local governments and other communities because corruption menace is everywhere.
“This kind of awareness walk against Corruption shouldn’t be restricted to alone, it should be extended to all the local governments, all our schools and even the communities because there’s corruption everywhere,” said the monarch.
