The Senate has passed into law a bill seeking to protect interest of whistleblowers in the country. This followed the third reading of the bill on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
The Whistleblower Protection Bill, alias “An Act to Protect Persons Making Disclosures for the Public Interest and Others from Reprisals, to Provide for the Matters Disclosed to be Properly Investigated and Dealt with and for other Purposes Related Therewith,” which seeks to encourage and facilitate the disclosures of improper conduct by public officers and public bodies, was presented by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, chaired by the senator representing Niger East, Senator David Umaru.
While passing the bill into law, the Senate explained that it is aimed at ensuring protection for persons with potentially reliable information on the war against corruption.
The law, amongst other things, seeks to ensure that persons who make disclosures about corruption do not suffer reprisals in relation to such disclosures and are duly protected by law.
It however specifies who is qualified to make disclosure of improper conduct; the procedure for making disclosures; and the protection due to ‘whistleblowers.’
In the new law, a person who makes a disclosure shall not be subject to victimisation by his or her employers or by fellow employees.
Also, a person who makes a disclosure has the right to take legal action if he or she is victimised, dismissed, suspended, declared redundant, transferred against his or her will, harassed or intimidated in any manner.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said the passage of the bill was “a promise kept”, pointing out that the bill will protect the lives of persons who risk themselves to expose corrupt practices in the country.
“Today, we have passed a landmark piece of legislation to fight corruption and protect patriotic Nigerians who are fighting corruption,” he said.
