Corruption is not peculiar to Nigeria, says former finance minister Adeosun

A former Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, says she regrets not institutionalizing the “Whistle Blower” policy during her tenure.

The whistleblower policy was introduced in December 2016 by the federal government as part of efforts to fight corruption.

Adeosun, Minister of Finance from 2015 to 2018, affirmed the whistleblower policy
she died under Muhammadu Buhari because she failed to give him legal support.

The former minister stated this as the keynote speaker at the second edition of the Citadel School of Government (CSG) Dialogue Series on Saturday in Lagos.

CSG was founded by Pastor Tunde Bakare.

Delivering a speech on “The Bumpy Road to Reforms: Risks, Resistance, Retaliation and the Resilient Leader”, Adeosun said the Federal Government’s whistleblowing policy remained one of the successful initiatives of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

He noted that any government policy without legal support is easy to abandon.

“Government policies with legal backing become difficult to change by subsequent administrations who don’t like them.

“Reform leaders often face institutional resistance and must find ways to overcome those obstacles.”

He said a reformer in leadership must be compassionate and at the same time move people forward.

Speaking on corruption, the former minister said it is not the prerogative of Nigeria, saying corruption exists in all parts of the world.

“Nigeria only needs the building of strong institutions to correct human behavior and eliminate corruption,” he said.

Also, Bakare, who is the in-service overseer of Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), commended Adeosun for continuing to do great things for the benefit of Nigeria, “despite the fire he faced.”

Bakare described the former minister as a “daughter of God, who has made us proud”.

“If Adeosun had not won her case, the stigma would have haunted her.

“It is highly commendable that she declared herself a minister and that no stolen homes or funds have been traced to her.”

Bakare said the topic remains important to prepare those in government and those who aspire to become leaders to be resilient and think about the reforms they plan to introduce.

“Reforms may not lead to immediate change, but you always need to stay focused and not chase shadows,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of CSG, Omoaholo Omoakhalen, said the dialogue series were developed to engage people who have served in government and share their experiences.

“Adeosun was chosen to talk about reforms to help current and emerging leaders as Nigeria still needs many more reforms across the board,” he added.