The whistle-blower policy introduced by the federal government and adopted by the Kogi state government in dealing with the rising cases of kidnappings in the state, is generating heated debates in many quarters. OYIBO SALIHU reports
Some political observers believe that Governor Bello’s decision to use whistle blower policy to deal with the incessant rise in kidnapping, other social crimes as well as those who are in the habit of inciting the general public against the government through their utterances, some pundit are of the view that the policy is a grand gimmick to gag the voice of the opposition parties and the existing factions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Last week, the state governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti Onyegbule announced that the Kogi State Government has promised a cash reward of N500,000 to any person with useful information that will lead to the arrest of criminals and people who spread false information capable of disrupting the existing peace in the state.
In the statement, the Chief Press Secretary said the move was aimed at consolidating the security efforts of the present administration in the State and to ensured peace and harmonious relationship amongst the people of Kogi State.
According to her “Governor Yahaya Bello administration is out to ensure the reduction of crime and criminality in the state and to also curb the attitude of some politically sponsored persons who spread false information against the government with a view to causing disquiet and rancour amongst the citizenry”.
She added that every information given will be treated with utmost confidentiality and called on the people to comply as the issue of security is the collective responsibility of everyone in the state.
But , before the introduction of this policy by the state government and the incentive attached to it, the fate of whistle blowers in the state was not known as nobody was willing to disclose vital and useful information on security for fear of victimization and persecution.
Commenting on the policy, the state Chairman of All Progressives Congress ( APC), Alhaji Haddy Ametuo described as charade, the recent whistle-blowing policy introduced by governor Bello’s led administration.
Ametuo in a statment which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja last week, accused the governor of using the policy as smokescreen, while insecurity and corruption thrive in the state.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari introduced the whistle blowing policy, it was geared towards assisting the government to get valuable information on the looted funds and assets belonging to the government, and the policy have started yielding result.
“It is disheartening to hear that Kogi state government is making mockery of the lofty ideas by rewarding those giving information about the critics of the government under the disguise of whistle blower with the sum of five hundred thousand naira( N500,00) of tax payers money. This is certainly far from what whistle blowing concept is all about.”
However, the opinion of a Lokoja based Human Rights activist, Mr Idris Miliki Abdul indicated that the whistle blower policy newly introduced by the state government may not see the light of the day if all the necessary needful are not put in place.
According to him “This policy may not work in Kogi state because there was no existing platform through which information can be divulge to either the government or security agents in the state. The federal government that first introduced the policy created platforms through which information can be disseminated to the government.
“That platform is not only lacking in Kogi state, it is not in existence. If you have information where and whom will you channel to. Again people have also lost confidence in the security agents as any information given to security agents lack confidentiality. These are factors the state government had to look into if truly they want the policy to succeed”
Also speaking on the policy, one of the Chieftain of the leading opposition party (PDP) in the state Alhaji Mohammed Anda Yusuf ,said the plan of the ruling government in Kogi state is to cowed all other political parties and hinder them from criticising the activities of the government.
According to Yusuf , the PDP who ruled the state for thirteen good years had never make any move to shut the mouth of any opposition party, stressing that other political parties in the state will vehemently resist any plan from the government to render the opposition useless .
“How can we accept to be caged, the beauty of democracy is for other political parties to criticize the activities of the ruling government, but in a situation where a policy is being introduced that whoever make a statement against the government should be arrested will not be healthy for the state.
“Even President Buhari who introduced the whistle blower policy at the federal level only cover corruption that had eaten deep into the fibre of the nation’s economy and he did not extend it beyond that”.
“Apparently, whistle blow¬ing would definitely require legislative intervention and regrettably, there is no such legislative intervention put in place by the state government to protect the blower which of course is key in the policy”.
“Therefore, bring the policy to the domain of the general public without any legal frame work may render it ineffective even in the face of the heavy inventive”.
