Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has admitted that the Federal Government’s whistleblower policy collapsed due to the absence of legal backing, expressing regret over her failure to institutionalise the initiative while in office.
Adeosun, who served between 2015 and 2018, spoke on Saturday in Lagos while delivering a keynote address at the second edition of the Citadel School of Government Dialogue Series.
The whistleblower policy, introduced in December 2016 under the administration of former
President Muhammadu Buhari, was designed to strengthen the fight against corruption by encouraging citizens to report financial misconduct.
Reflecting on the policy, the former minister described it as one of the most impactful anti-corruption initiatives of the Buhari government but acknowledged that a major lapse in its implementation led to its decline.
“I regret not institutionalising the whistleblower policy. It died because I failed to give it legal backing,” she said.
She explained that policies not backed by legislation remain fragile and susceptible to reversal by successive administrations.
“Government policies with legal backing become difficult to change by successors who may not share the same vision,” Adeosun added.
Speaking on governance, she noted that reform-driven leadership often faces stiff resistance within public institutions, stressing the need for resilience and inclusiveness in driving change.
According to her, reformers must not only be firm but also compassionate, ensuring that stakeholders are carried along in the process.
On corruption, Adeosun maintained that the challenge is global rather than peculiar to Nigeria, emphasising that the solution lies in strengthening institutions to enforce accountability and influence human behaviour.
Also speaking, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, commended Adeosun for her service to the country despite the controversies she faced while in office.
Bakare said her eventual vindication in the certificate saga saved her from a lasting reputational damage, noting that no evidence of illicit wealth was linked to her.
“If she had not cleared her name, the stigma would have lingered. It is commendable that no stolen funds or properties were ever traced to her,” he said.
He further stressed that reforms require patience and persistence, noting that meaningful change often does not produce immediate results.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Citadel School of Government, Omoaholo Omoakhalen, said the dialogue series was created to enable former public officials to share practical governance experiences with emerging leaders.
He added that Adeosun was selected to speak on reforms due to her track record in public service, noting that Nigeria still requires wide-ranging reforms across critical sectors.
The event attracted participants from government, academia and the private sector, with discussions focusing on the challenges of policy implementation and the demands of transformative leadership.
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