Twenty whistleblowers whose information led to the recovery
of about N11.635 billion loot have been paid N375.8 million, in line with the
Federal Government’s reward package on the whistleblower policy.
Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this in
Abuja yesterday said: “This payment, which is the first under the whistleblower
policy, underscores the commitment of the President Muhmmadu Buhari
administration in meeting obligations to information providers under the
whistleblower policy. The policy is an essential tool in the fight against
corruption,” she stated.
The minister further disclosed that the policy was recently
amended with the introduction of a formal legal agreement between information
providers and the federal government, which is executed by the Minister of
Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.
She added that procedures have also been introduced to
ensure the protection of the identity of information providers during the
payment process.
The minister explained that all payments are taxable and are
only made upon confirmation of the final recovery of assets as confirmed by the
Attorney-General of the Federation as being free of legal disputes or
litigation.
Giving details on the Whistleblower Unit (WBU), Adeosun
described it as a multi-agency team, domiciled at the Ministry of Finance
headquarters.
“It is staffed by secondees from the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS), the
Nigeria Police Force and Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA),
among others.
“The Whistleblower Unit is the first line of response to
whistleblower information, where initial review is undertaken before cases are
forwarded to the relevant investigative agencies,” Adeosun said.
Recall that the Ministry of Finance had reported that
following the approval of the Whistleblowers Policy by the Federal Executive
Council and its launch by the Minister of Finance in December 2016, the WBU
received 2,150 communications and 337 tips through its dedicated channels from
many patriotic Nigerians, which led to the recovery of substantial assets that
were illegally acquired by various individuals. The primary purpose of the
policy is to support the fight against financial crimes and corruption, promote
accountability and enhance transparency in the management of public finances.
The minister has also assured that the administration of
President Buhari would continue to encourage all Nigerians with information on
misconduct, violation or improper activity which can impact negatively on
Nigeria, to report it to the appropriate authority.
By Uche Usim
