Afikpo, Ebonyi State – Gisting don start for Nigeria as Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) confirm say dem don sack one Assistant Superintendent of Corrections, Efe Onakpoya, because he whistle na wa oh! This wahala no be small, as the guy wey whistleblow go face the backlash, while the colleague wey chop the hot soup dey waka free!
As the palaver be, Mr. Onakpoya, wey dey stationed for Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) for Afikpo, don branch the matter wey concern one Ogbule Obinna. Na him take inmate comot for custody go chop some ‘conjugal’ visit with him babe. You see say na real family matter dey happen inside jail!
Reports show say Sahara Reporters and other groups carry the news come outs, say instead of dem to purnish the officer wey dey do wrong, dem just give am pardon, while Mr. Onakpoya wey try expose the matter dey face serious gbese! Na wetin we call ‘whistleblower wahala’. Abubakar Umar, the NCoS spokesperson, come dey claim say na ‘false allegations’ na im cause the dismissal and say dem catch Mr. Onakpoya snap inside jail and post am online, which na big no-no.
According to him, dem no catch the officer wey take the inmate waka, but Mr. Onakpoya no fit komot am – wahala wey e no fit escape. But me I dey wonder, who go protect those wey dey try talk the truth for this Nigeria? Na who dem wan believe when the koko don scatter like this?
Legally, whistleblowers for Naija dey face plenty kasala: harassment, job loss, and sometimes worse, no be small matter at all. Even though dem get laws wey suppose protect dem, many dey fear to talk because of the sharp wahala wey dey follow.
Funny enough, a 2016 whistleblowing policy wey federal government launch to help people talk out against corruption don dey fall flat as many people no wan run the risk again. You sabi as e be, e no good when everybody dey keep ‘mumu’ silence because of fear.
Some people dey even argue say the government dey try cover their juju by using law wey fit punish anybody wey talk. Na so we dey see am now, Inspector Gadget wey no fit find the right way! So many Nigerians dey keep wahala for their chest, while old thieves dey flex.
Make una no forget say corruption for Naija no fit stop if people dey fear to expose bad thing. Journalists and civil society groups still dey depend on those wey get liver to blow whistle, but as things dey go now, who go fit talk when dem fit face serious fallout? Na why government policies no fit work at the end of the day! Fingers crossed as we dey watch how this story go unfold.
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