DO YOU HAVE A WHISTLE

April 26, 2017 VOL. 1, NO.1 DO YOU HAVE A WHISTLE? Joseph Hudson of Birmingham in 1868 invented the whistle but in 1884, Cantabrian genius William Atack became the first person to use the whistle in stopping a rugby sports match. The use of whistling device can be traced back to ancient China. When night watchmen needed to alert towns of an impending Mongolian attack, they would blow into the top of an acorn to make a shrilling, warning sound. However, in the mid-to-late 19th century Joseph Hudson developed a whistle which was a little less nutty. Prior to the invention of whistle, referees used the power of their voice or theatrical fluttering of a handkerchief to make players stop and listen to them. Through out history, whistles have been used by groups such as the police, military, hunters, musicians and boatmen. Referees all over the world still use whistle to officiate sports and it is highly unlikely that the whistle will be usurped by any other device any time soon. Today this very tiny invention controls lots of sporting activities that earn people humongous income and provide government with revenues in terms of taxes. In a football event, everybody plays to the control of the whistle. What a tiny but much in control object. Recently, the federal government adopted a policy of whistle blowing whereby citizens are encourage to expose and bring to limelight surreptitious activities of bad-egg citizens that aim at undermining the laws of the land in the areas of financial crimes and other nefarious acts. The policy is better called ‘Whistle blowing policy’. The policy has revealed various means Nigerians politicians are now using to stash away monies meant for the development of the nation. Mind boggling physical cash are now being exhumed from backyard farms, from underground tanks, abandoned houses, unknown shops and the most recent, the Osbornegate in lagos. Again unconfirmed reports to FRANKLYSPEAKING said that monies were found in cemeteries. Well, it may not be only about money that whistle blowing will flourish. People are of the view that such policies be extended to security and issues of ghost workers in our civil service. In the factory here, whistle blowing is equally encouraged but it must be the truth. So get your whistle and get ready to blow.