Private Sector Whistleblowers Get Protection

 
Cabinet has reportedly approved amendments to The Whistleblower Act to widen the net of protection to non-government employees who may wish to report crimes in their places of work, including corrupt practices, to the security agencies.

Henceforth, whistleblowers working in the private sector would be shielded from victimisation and vilification from their employers for exposing malfeasance.

The amendment also allows the setting up of a Special Fund to reward those who blow the whistle on all wrongdoings.

According to Deputy Information Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the bill was being amended to encourage workers in the private sector to divulge information on wrongdoing in their establishments.

He noted: 'People in the private sector who would volunteer information to the security services would be assured of their protection against dismissal, or any adverse actions against them by their employers.'

The Chronicle wonders why private sector employees and operators were excluded from the protection of the Whistleblower Act in the first place.

What was the rationale? That no corruption or other wrongdoings take place in the private sector that affect the state? What of companies, especially multi-nationals, hiding profits in order to pay less tax? Or private sector companies bribing government tender board members to rig the tender in their favour?

It is time our legislators got more serious and approached the business of legislating for the welfare of Ghanaians with the seriousness given elsewhere. Our legislators seem to be under the impression that whatever is sent to them must be passed just like that. And then they bristle at being called rubber stamp?

If they do not know, they have the power to return a draft bill, pointing out the perceived defects and asking for them to be corrected.

As much as The Chronicle is happy at the widened scope of the Whistleblower Act, we are sad that its Siamese twin, the Right to Information (RTI) bill, is yet to be re-presented to Parliament.

We recall that then candidate Mahama pledged on the campaign trail that he would ensure that the RTI bill was enacted into law. He has reiterated that same position since his inauguration.

We, therefore, add our voice to that of the RTI Coalition, in calling on President Mahama to fulfil his promise, as the draft bill is currently before Cabinet.

And he must ensure that the amendments proposed and accepted by the Parliamentary Joint Committees of the 5 th Parliament are included. Ten years after it was drafted, the RTI has stayed in limbo long enough, and must be enacted now.

Until then, the jury is still out on whether or not this government is serious with its anti-corruption agenda, as its founder wants it to be, or just paying lip-service to it.