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.