Ministry pledges to reinstate whistle-blower if wrongly sacked

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said yesterday that Mr. Ntia Thompson, sacked by the ministry over whistle-blowing, would be reinstated if actually his appointment was wrongfully terminated.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Onyeama, who stated this in Abuja while fielding questions from newsmen on the issue, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had directed him to look into the matter.

Thompson, an assistant director with the Directorate for Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), was sacked for allegedly exposing a fraud in his office. He was said to have been sacked for allegedly raising an alarm that $229,000 and N800, 000 had been diverted by key officials in DTCA, an agency under the ministry.

Onyeama said he had a comprehensive report on that matter and steps would be taken to ensure that justice is done on all the issues raised. “I want to tell Nigerians that whistle-blower protection is what we subscribed to wholeheartedly and completely in the ministry and it is government’s position and directive.

“I personally assure you that throughout my tenure, I will do everything possible to protect whistleblower in the ministry, because the agenda of the government is a clear one that will embrace whistle blower,” he said.

He promised to look at the report and keep the public informed about the outcome of his findings, assuring that if there is a slightest possibility that there could have been any action that was taken as a result of the person being a whistle-blower, damages would be paid

“I can give you a guarantee that damages would be paid and the person would be reinstated and measure would be taken on this. As far as this ministry is concerned, justice would be done,” he pledged.