Group charges National Assembly on whistleblowers, others

A civil society organisation, Media Initiative Against Injustice, Violence and Corruption (MIIVOC) has charged the National Assembly to take urgent steps to pass anti-graft bills pending before it in order to strengthening the legal framework against corruption.

MIIVOC in collaboration with Justice for All (DFID) in a communiqué issued after the two-day media roundtable held at Bridge Waters Hotel, Enugu disclosed that widespread feelings and opinion on the on-going war against corruption is not comprehensive.

They stated that it appears to target only a few rather than every corrupt persons and institutions in Nigeria and called for expedited action on other pending anti-graft bills.

The pending bills, they pointed out are Proceeds of Crime Agency (POCA); the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre (NFIC); the Whistle Blowers and
Witness Protection (WBWP); and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bills.

In the communiqué signed by the Vice President (South East) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo and Lekia Christian of the Niger Delta Coalition Against Violence noted that the legal framework for anti-corruption remains weak, making the anti-graft war more difficult and cumbersome.

According to them, efforts of civil society groups towards the passage the already mentioned bills have been hampered, adding that the civil society organisations have not been united in an effort to push for the passage of the bills.