CBOs Urged To Use Whistleblowing To Expose Gender Violence, Child Right Abuse In Anambra
Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in Anambra have urged the use the whistleblower policy of the Federal Government to expose the social ills within their domain.
Prof. Mercy Anigbogu, of the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka said this during a step-down training for some CBOs on Whistleblower policy as a tool for fighting corruption at Awkuzu, Oyi LGA on Wednesday.
The training was organised by African Centre For Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) funded by McArthur Foundation.
Anigbogu who was the guest lecturer said there were other vices affecting public safety and inhibiting development in the community other than financial corruption.
The Guidance and Counseling expert said the trainees should use their knowledge of principles of the whistleblower to report corruption and other socially unacceptable behaviours including gender violence and child right abuse and drug intake.
She said they should endeavour to maintain their anonymity status while giving out factual, verifiable and public interest information.
According to her, use your whistle to expose the ills in the society, not just corruption, report rape, gender violence, child abuse, drug abuse and other vices.
On her part, Mrs Goodluck Ogbogu, participant at the event said the training had further enriched their knowledge on how to hold public office holders accountable.
Ogbogu said though, the reward system was a welcome development but it could not compare with the benefit of making people execute the jobs they were elected to do rightly.
She commended AFRICMIL for bringing the awareness on whistleblowing to the grassroots while promising that they would put them to good use.
Mr Chris Azor, Chairman of Anambra State Civil Society Network or said the three day stepdown training across the three senatorial districts in Anambra was a successful one.
Azor commended the trainees for their active participation noting that imbibing the principles would result to a better governance delivery in the communities.
Mr Godwin Onyeacholem, Snr Programme Officer at AFRICMIL said the step-down training was to build public confidence for the whistleblower policy of the government.
