Nigerian govt pledges to review cases of citizens punished for exposing corruption

Against the uproar that followed the recent sack of a whistle-blower by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the federal government has promised to look into cases of Nigerians who got punished for helping to expose corruption.
Ntia Thompson, an assistant director in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, was sacked for exposing an alleged $229,000 fraud among top officials of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, DTCA.
The sack of Mr. Thompson is seen as a big blow to the government’s whistle-blower policy which is meant to encourage the citizens to help in exposing corruption.
A civic group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had given the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, a seven-day ultimatum to recall Mr. Thompson.
“Impunity for reprisals against Mr Thompson would send a message to all potential whistle-blowers that your ministry lacks the commitment to their protection,” the deputy director of SERAP, Timothy Adewale, said in a letter to the minister.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, on Sunday, restated the government’s resolve to protect whistle-blowers, as well as reward them.
“For those who may have suffered any backlash as a result of the information they provide, their cases will be reviewed and appropriate mitigating actions taken,” a statement issued by the ministry quoted Mr. Mohammed as saying.
The statement said Mr. Mohammed’s assurance followed presentations made to the Presidential Asset Recovery Committee by concerned citizens and groups about the safety of whistle-blowers.