Financial crimes and corruption continues to remain an issue that requires multiple defenses across all fronts. The role of a whistleblower can not be over emphasized in curbing corruption and financial crimes.
So who is a Whistleblower?A Whistleblower is a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public. An individual “blows the whistle” when they disclose information which relates to suspected wrongdoing or dangers.
This information must be in the public interest and must not be a trivial matter. For example, the matters could include a criminal activity, money laundering, unjust legal action, danger to public health and safety, diversion of funds, failure to comply with any legal obligation or regulatory requirement, bribery, financial fraud or misappropriation of funds.
Whistleblowers have historically played an important role in helping to protect the public and economic interests of Nigerians and clampdown on wrongdoing in the public interest. For example, Nigerian Federal Government has recovered a lot of money in the past years through implementation of the whistleblowing policy.
Whistleblowing will continue to be a vital component of good governance in Nigeria and any country for detecting any sort of corruption, crime and fraud.