Assessment Of Whistle Blowing Act In Ensuring Good Governance In Nigeria.
Ordu Nnendah Chigwuyari
Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Rivers State University, Port Harcourt
Barigbon G. Nsereka
Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Dike Harcourt Whyte
Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Itieke-Idamieba Harry
Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Abstract
The study evaluates the assessment of whistle blowing Act in ensuring good governance in Nigeria. To achieve this, the study raised three objectives which are to; evaluate the opinions of journalists in Rivers State as to whether the Whistleblowing Act can bring about good governance; find out ways the media can contribute towards enthroning a corruption-free society using whistleblowing as a premise. The study was anchored on two theories; the ethical theory and the social responsibility theory. The research design used for this study is the analytical survey. The population comprised all the registered journalists in Rivers State given as 485 by the office of the Secretary of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Rivers State. The sample for this study was 228 drawn from a population of 485 journalists. To arrive at this sample size, Taro Yamane sample size determination formula was used. Therefore, purposive sampling technique was used to administer the instruments to the respondents. Finding of this study showed that Whistleblowing Act when effectively applied brings about good governance. Finding from this research question is that the media can contribute to a corruption free society through whistleblowing. The study concluded that the Whistleblowing Act has the potential to serve as a critical tool for enhancing governance in Nigeria by promoting transparency and accountability. However, the effectiveness of this legislation is largely contingent on how well it is implemented and how securely it protects those who expose corruption. The study recommended that government at all levels should develop and implement Whistleblowing Acts that would expose corruption practices in government so as to ensure good governance. The study also recommended that it is good and relevant for media houses and journalists to embark on investigative journalism so as to expose corrupt practices among politicians and political office holders thus, this would help ensure a corruption free society.