A northern group has come out to urge the government to implement the whistleblowing policy to the war against terrorism.
A civil society group under the aegis of the Northern Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations [NIFROP], has called on the Federal Government to extend the whistle-blowing policy instituted to fight corruption in the war on terrorism.
The group which held a world press conference in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, made the request which it believes will go a long way in helping the country in the fight against terrors especially in the north eastern parts of the country.
In a communique signed on behalf of the group by the General Superintendent and Founder of the NIFROP, Bishop Edward Chanami, the group lamented the recent hiccups the military has been experiencing in the fight against Boko Haram in recent times and are of the belief that the whistle-blowing policy would go a long way to help in the fight.
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Part of the communique reads:
"We called for this all-important press conference at which we are making interventions in the ongoing counter-terrorism war. The war, as being prosecuted by the Nigerian Military, has had its up and down moments but this should not detract from the collective desire of the majority of citizens to see good triumph over evil.
Even as we continue to intercede for and on behalf of God's children, we have found it imperative, time and time again, that our faith must be matched with actions, hence our occasional intervention to give context and direction when necessary.
We have observed with concern, the recent string of events in which the Boko Haram terrorists that were taking flight upon their resounding defeat in Camp Zero of Sambisa Forest, are attempting to reconstitute themselves into threats to the rest of us.
They have mounted attacks that, in their own expectations are spectacular. With the benefit of what we know, the attacks are just a fraction of the many plots to create terror since the military regularly abort their evil plots before fruition.
These successes in thwarting Boko Haram attacks before they occur are the products of painstaking intelligence gathering.
It is logical to assume that greater success would be recorded when citizens volunteer information about Boko Haram terrorists as their own contributions towards making the country safe for all peace-loving citizens.
It is, for this reason, that we are revisiting the Whistle-blowers Policy of the Military in the counter-terrorism war. We recall that the Nigerian Army, not long ago, offered N500,000 to some whistle-blowers as a reward for providing information about suicide bombers.
This practice has been in place for some time but it appears Nigerians are not tapping into it as a way of helping in making their own communities secured and safer.
We must re-commit ourselves to the services of humanity by stopping and encouraging actions that will prevent any form of bloodshed as God Almighty hates the spilling of blood.
The introduction of whistle-blowing in the counter insurgency operations in the north east is no doubt a follow up to the order by the Acting President redeploying the entire military architecture of the country to the north east to confront the new wave of terrorism.
We count it as a plus that whistleblowing would be the equivalent of the improved welfare implemented by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai for troops fighting the terrorists.
Soldiers in the battle front hearing that their families are being looked after and loved by the military authorities, has helped to bring the war to this successful point on the side of the military and our country and must be appreciated.
We, therefore, concede that whistleblowing has been in place for quite some time but our observation is that people have not been going to make claims, hence the need for the military to reiterate it recently to address current exigencies.
Our appeal, however, is that the military should consider varying the rewards for whistle-blowing. Fear of retribution from the terrorists could be holding back some citizens that have vital information.
To this end, we suggest that the reward for a certain level of whistleblowing should include an offer of relocation and provision of new identities under a whistleblower protection program.
This would not only instill confidence in volunteering information but will encourage those that are in doubt to step forward.
In the same vein, we appeal to citizens to step forward and do their bit. Terrorism is an evil that afflicts us all collectively and we must not hide behind ethnic and religious sentiments to allow it space to grow.
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It is apparent already that God is pleased with the Nigerian Military and His hands rest mightily on the service chiefs who have done much to stop the bloodshed of His children.
It, therefore, behoves on us to be one with God in supporting the military leaders He anointed for us. It will be same as meeting our spiritual obligation to support the military to win this war against evil."
In the recent past, some groups in the northern parts of the country have been coming out in their numbers to roundly condemn the incessant attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents which seems to be gaining greater momentum.
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