Dr. George Uboh, the foremost whistleblower in Nigeria, commends President Buhari and Senate President Saraki for embracing whistleblowers protection laws.
Uboh, who faced victimization, illegal detentions, physical, cyber and spiritual threats for blowing the whistle on the EFCC since 2013 was willing to lay his life down until whistle blowers are protected by the Nigerian Government.
Uboh urges all Nigerians regardless of creed, culture or political affiliation to consider this an epoch making achievement by President Buhari who promised to protect whistleblowers during his campaign thus has made good his promise.
Uboh posits that whistleblowers at EFCC and other organizations who were giving him information secretly may come out openly without fear of victimization, and still stand to make money in the process. He stated that protecting and rewarding whistleblowers will surmount the hybrid problems of insecurity and corruption currently facing Nigeria. A robust office of whistleblowers protection headed by a sound and experienced personality who people can trust to furnish information, could be used to offer rewards to people who give tips on crimes ranging from peccadillos/misdemeanors to capital/murder offenses.
Uboh asserts that if the version of the whistleblowers and witnesses’ protection bill he drafted and handed to the Senate is the same that has passed second reading without adulteration, then corruption and crimes in Nigeria will be reduced by 90%.
Uboh intends to push for declaration of December 21, 2016 or the date the Act is finally passed by the National Assembly as Whistleblowers Day in Nigeria.