Senator Ali Ndume has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sign or issue an Unexplained Wealth Order, as a way of reinforcing the battle against corruption. 

Ndume stated this in Ibadan while conveying the 2021 Distinguish Leadership Lecture Series, coordinated by the University of Ibadan. The lecture topic was discussed was: The Unexplained Wealth and the Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria', was held at the Trenchard Hall of the college. 

Ndume, who is the Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Army, likewise encouraged Buhari to persuade the National Assembly to pass the Proceeds of Crime Bill on schedule “regardless of bickering on the management of the proceeds recovered”.

The senator said there was a need for a closer look to be taken at instances of corruption “most especially, those occasioned by public officers who are in trust of public wealth." 

He said, “Our crusade against this monster (corruption) should start from politicians, top public servants, civil servants down to local governments’ staff."

“For the perpetrators, it is not difficult to identify the tendencies exhibited by these officers; acquiring landed property in and outside the country, having fat bank deposits, buying expensive cars, or marrying so many wives.”

He said that the fight against corruption is the duty of the nation and its citizens.

“It changes our good culture, it breeds injustice and impunity, every citizen has a role to play.”

Ndume also called for the government to take tangible steps in protecting whistleblowers, calling for a whistleblower policy to be reexamined, highlighted that whistleblowers should be motivated by patriotism, not reward. 

He said that the whistleblower policy must be revisited; stressing motivation for whistleblowers shouldn’t just be the reward, but patriotism. Ndume also encouraged whistleblowers to report incidents on all levels of governance including locally, guaranteeing that they would be protected by law. 

Ndume lastly directed  anti-corruption agencies such as Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Economic and Financial Crime Commission and Department of State Security to take whistleblowers seriously, conducting investigations on whistleblowing reports, “however casual it may be”.