In this Age , # OpenData makes a lot of things clear and transparent . # Data with a little context , speaks by and for itself . Only if Governments at all Arms and Tiers would embrace # OpenData # OpenGovernment principles - for the benefit of the nation . Most of the DETECTIVE & RECOVERY efforts we make today may probably have been avoided . Whistleblowing policy is a fantastic idea and it is already yielding some results . Kudos to the Federal Government .
My practice in RISK & CONTROL tells me Whistleblowing is a Control mechanism against identified Risk ( Corruption ). It further says CONTROLS can be : - Preventive , - Deterrent , - Detective , - Corrective - Recovery . CONTROLS can equally be Manual & Automated . It can also be Defective , Effective & Efficient . Whistleblowing is a kind of Deterrent , Detective , and Recovery control . Manual in nature and less Effective and Efficient . While it deters intending Corrupt people , it helps to detect already executed corruption , that may eventually lead to some recovery .
In essence , it relies on one man to report corruption , o n t h e p r e m i s e t h a t t h i n g s w o u l d g o b a d between / among parties . If it does go bad , we win and would see the kind of results we have today , otherwise we might not know a thing about corruption . In another way , if an observer doesn ' t have the courage to report a suspected corruption case , such is lost forever - may be . A more effective , potent , efficient way of Preventing and reducing corruption is to deploy the # OpenData & # OpenGovernment Controls . # OpenData &
# OpenGovernment are a more effective kind of Whistleblowing measures . It is handing Whistle to more Nigerians . How would contractors refuse to build a road when all details about projects are publicly knowledge - quite slim ! # OpenData & # OpenGovernment empower citizens with the right information to participate in governance . # OpenData & # OpenGovernment is Government choosing to empower Citizens as the third-eye for fight against Corruption . It gives the responsibility and authority of asking questions and knowing government plans without even asking .
If we practice # OpenData and # OpenGovernment , corruption will drop drastically . Corruption thrives in secrecy . Secrecy is the lifeblood of Corruption . With a little light through # OpenData , the darkness of Corruption will flee . Most State Governments have refused to make their Budget details publicly available , that ' s making room for corruption . All Agencies under Federal Government Statutory Transfers list ( like the INEC , NHRC , NJC , UBEC , PCC , NDDC ) do not have details to their Budgets - that ' s making room for corruption . Almost all the revenue generating MDAs ( 38 of them – NCC , NBC , NNPC , SEC , BPE , etc .) listed under the Fiscal Responsibility Act , 2007 have their Budgets closed up , that ' s watering corruption to blossom . We can reduce our Recovery efforts to the barest minimum if we embrace and truly practice # OpenData & # OpenGovernment . We need # OpenData , We need # OpenGovernment . Investors prefer such system and would be glad to invest in such environment .