Town Hall Suggests Incentives For Whistle Blowers To Curtail Corruption
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Participants of a Town Hall meeting on Saturday called for the creation of incentives for whistle blowers so as to boost the fight against corruption in the country.
The participants made the call in a Communique issued at the end of the Town Hall meeting organized by Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) with the support of MacArthur Foundation,held at Seven Thirty Restaurant,Kano.
The initiative, the participants noted,would encourage whistle blowers to volunteer information to anti-corruption agencies to facilitate the fight against corruption.
In the communique which was signed by the Executive Director WAMAC, Zubair Abdurra’uf Idris,the participants acknowledged the efforts of the anti-corruption agencies towards the fight against corruption.
They, however,decried the perception and attitudes of the Political Class and a section of the public of efforts to tackle corruption in the country.
The meeting which had as its theme:”Harnessing Collective Action Against Corruption:Strenthening Public Perception And Attitudes”,also frowned at “attitudes of breach of trusts, money laundering and economic sabotage by segments of the society to the detriment of the larger society resulting to corruption in large scale in public institutions.”
“Through concerted efforts by all, we would be able to combat the cancerous menace of corruption and create a just society,” the gathering said.
It then called for concerted efforts to combat corruption through media engagement including drama sketches and advocacy.
While acknowledging cultural norms and values as factors shaping corruption, the Town Hall advocated accountability in governance and urged the citizens to shun all aspects of corruption and stealing public funds and report incidences of corruption appropriately.
The participants were drawn from the Media, Civil Society Organizations, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ICPC, People With Disabilities (PWD’s), Community Based Organizations, Religious Leaders and Faith-Based Organizations and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), among other stakeholders.
