Whistleblowers must have absolute protection in Ghana – Oduro Osae

Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, has called for absolute protection for whistleblowers in Ghana in order to improve on the fight against graft in the country.

He said this at the launch of a report by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to enhance the fight against corruption, on the back of Ghana gaining two points on the global Corruption Perception Index released on Thursday, January 28.

Dr. Osae stated that he is shocked and worried about the government’s unwillingness to protect the identities of individuals who reveal corrupt and criminal practices of persons in authority.

“The identity of whistleblowers not being protected is worrying and I’m shocked because if I blow the whistle that somebody is committing one criminal activity, corrupt activity or the other and I cannot be protected, I will not blow."

“And the failure of people to blow the whistle means we are all doomed as a country, so this finding is important, I will encourage the EU and other partners, if you have additional resources, support NCCE and government to ensure that this bill is implemented,” he charged.

Dr. Osae further emphasized that “whistleblowers would have to be protected” by law.

On her part, the Board Chair of the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) and the executive director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) Linda Ofori Kwafo, reacting to the report said the fight against corruption will be enhanced.

“For some time now ever since we adopted the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, Ghana has been making some marginal progress, it’s worth commending, but then if we want to see the development we need, onwards we should be seeing significant changes in terms of reduction in corruption,” she pointed out.

The NCCE research report was launched in collaboration with the Head of the European Union (EU) in Ghana, Ambassador Diana Acconcia.