Whistleblowing incentives should cover all sectors, not just galamsey — UG Dean
The Dean of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Professor Justice Nyigmah Bawole, is urging the government to broaden the scope of its whistleblowing policy beyond illegal mining activities
His call follows President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement that individuals who provide credible information leading to the seizure of illegal gold or cash will be rewarded with 10 percent of the recovered value.
The President made the disclosure during the launch of the Ghana Gold Board’s special enforcement unit, the GoldBod Taskforce.
Speaking during his inaugural lecture at the University of Ghana, Professor Bawole welcomed the move but argued that limiting the whistleblowing incentive to galamsey is short-sighted and undermines the wider fight against corruption.
“I’ve always taught whistleblowing as part of my course, and we often assumed people would be reluctant to report wrongdoing because of our collectivist culture. But when Operation Recover All Loot was launched, the number of citizens willing to provide information proved otherwise,” he explained.
The UGBS Dean pointed out that whistleblowing incentives are already backed by law, citing provisions that reward individuals who help recover stolen assets. He believes that if the initiative is well-structured and people are assured of protection and action, more citizens will come forward.
“As you can see, President Mahama recently said, if you blow the whistle on an illegal miner and we recover loot, you get 10 percent. That’s great. But why only illegal miners?” he questioned.
Prof. Bawole called on the presidency to allow whistleblowing across all sectors and give Ghanaians confidence that their reports will be acted upon.
“Mr. President, please tell us to blow the whistle on every other person and assure us it will be taken seriously,” he said.
