BY ONORIODE ETATSEMI
THE Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, SAN has said that as a government that stands for probity, it would do what was necessary to ensure that laws of the State are fully implemented and operationalized.
Ohwovoriole disclosed this in Asaba when members of Global Peace Development led by its Executive Director, Mr. Ebruke Onajite Esike paid him an advocacy visit.
Represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in Ministry, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, the Attorney-General, said that the Delta State Government will always act in accordance with best practices worldwide.
He stated that the Ministry would review the request for a whistle-blower protection provision in the law and If at the end of the review, it finds that such a provision was necessary to give the law the necessary impetus, it would make the necessary recommendations to the state government. He told the group that the process of law making was the responsibility of the State House of Assembly, stating that a Bill could proceed to the House of Assembly as a private member’s Bill or an Executive Bill.
The Attorney-General assured the group of its commitment to seek the necessary approval to prepare the whistleblower Bill if the need arises.
Earlier, the Executive Director of Global Peace Development, Mr. Ebruke Onajite Esike said that the purpose of the advocacy visit was to seek the support of the Ministry of Justice for the effective operationalization of the Delta State Public Financial Management Law 2022.
According to him, the law was crucial for effective financial management, economic stability, public trust, and accelerated development premised on demand and supply equilibrium and sustainable peace.
He noted that despite the existence of the public financial management law 2022, its operationalization has not been effective.
He stated that the law lacked a whistleblower protection policy provision to protect citizens against reprisal attacks when poorly executed and / or abandoned projects were reported to the Government.
Onajite said that the Ministry’s support was crucial in the enactment and domestication of the whistleblower protection law that would foster a culture of transpar byency and accountability as well as building of public trust on the government and political office holders.
