The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and stakeholders in the region are charting way forward on the essence of a Whistleblower
Protection Strategy, reports ITRealms.
This is coming as a fallout of a two-day meeting
on advocacy and sensitization held in Cotonou, Benin Republic on the 22nd and
23rd of February 2017, facilitated by the ECOWAS Commission, to
sensitize Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Media practitioners and
operational staff of National Anti-corruption Institutions in Benin Republic on
the ECOWAS Whistleblower Protection Strategy.
The meeting also stressed the need for a robust
advocacy on the enactment of a stand-alone law on whistleblower protection in
Benin Republic.
ITRealms also reports that the meeting ended
with increased collective consciousness on the necessity of up-holding the
values of integrity and transparency in the management of public resources in
the region.
Participants at the meeting agreed that
stakeholders should be encouraged to use Whistleblowing as part of their strategy
to promote transparency in the management of public resources and holding
government accountable in Benin Republic.
They also underscored the need for the enactment
and effective implementation of a dedicated national legislation to engender
comprehensive protection of whistle-blowers in the country while urging the
country’s National Assembly to expedite actions on promulgating a stand-alone
legislation for the protection of whistle-blowers.
Other relevant offices such as the
Prosecutor-General and agencies such as security forces were urged to put
special protection measures in place to advance the cause of whistle
blowing.
The participants urged the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Benin, in collaboration with Social Watch to
facilitate joint training programmes on security forces, CSOs and Media
practitioners’ relations on the promotion of whistleblowing culture and
protection of whistleblowers in Benin Republic.
The Benin Republic chapter of the ECOWAS Civil
Society Organizations Platform on Transparency and Accountability in Governance
(ECSOPTAG) was launched by the fact of the meeting.
Participants rose after commending the ECOWAS
Commission for its commitment to advancing the promotion of good governance and
whistleblowing as viable strategy for the fight against corruption in Benin
Republic.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Andre
Sagbo, General Secretary, Ministry of Justice of Benin, leaders of CSOs,
anti-corruption networks, and United Nations agencies including the ECOWAS
Commission Director, Political Affairs Dr. Remi Ajibewa, and other key
stakeholders involved in the promotion of integrity governance in the Republic
of Benin.
Ayo Midele/GEE
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