A civil society group, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, AFRICMIL, has applauded the momentum that the whistle blower policy has brought to the war against corruption which recently resulted in the suspension of the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayodele Oke, over the N13billion discovered by the EFCC in a Lagos apartment.

Coordinator of the Centre, Chido Onumah, in a statement on Thursday, expressed delight that the success so far recorded was a pointer to the fact that the policy was proving to be an effective tool in checking widespread corruption in the polity.

AFRICMIL, it will be recalled, is currently engaged in a project titled “Corruption Anonymous”, which is aimed at supporting the government’s whistleblower policy.

Onumah said: “Within so short a period the whistleblower policy has transformed the anti-corruption landscape to the extent that hitherto lukewarm citizens, the bulk of whom are direct victims of corruption, have started showing in the war against corruption by exposing hiding places of looted funds.”

The organization noted that there was no doubt that the aim of the policy was steadily being achieved with the involvement of Nigerians.

It also praised the government for its realization that without getting citizens to play a key role in the fight against corruption, there was no way the war would be successfully prosecuted.

Onumah stated that only corrupt persons and beneficiaries of the proceeds of corruption would not be happy with the positive impact of whistleblowing since it was launched four months ago.

“While majority of Nigerians have been jubilating over the gradual recovery of these funds through whistleblowing, we hope that the perpetrators of this heinous crime and their accomplices would be exposed in due course,” he added.

While commending government for the vision that led to the policy, AFRICMIL called for decisive action on the recent discovery by EFCC.

The organization urged government to be honest and transparent in handling the issue “as the case had the potential of totally dismantling the whistleblower policy.”

“The case has presented itself as the litmus test for the effective implementation of the policy going forward,” the statement read.

“We appeal to government to treat it objectively so as not to erode the support and confidence of the people in the policy.”

The group reiterated its continued support and readiness to partner with the government in promoting and strengthening the whistleblower policy for effective implementation.