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| Whistle-blowers Policy |
The Federal Government
said on Wednesday it had released about ₦375.8 million for payment of 20 whistle-blowers who provided information that led to the recovery over ₦11.6
billion.
PREMIUM
TIMES report continues:
The
Ministry of Finance, which confirmed the release in a statement, said the
payments were the first under the Whistle-blower Policy.
The
government did not disclose the identities of the beneficiaries, apparently for
security reasons.
“This
payment is the first under the Whistleblower Policy,” the Minister for Finance,
Kemi Adeosun, said in the statement.
“The
payment underscores the commitment of the President Muhmmadu Buhari-led
administration to meet its obligations to information providers under the
Whistleblower Policy, which is an essential tool in the fight against
corruption.”
The
minister said recent amendments to the Whistleblower Policy of the government
include the introduction of a formal legal agreement between information
providers and the Federal Government.
The
agreement is executed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation,
she said.
In
line with the policy, each whistleblower would be entitled to a minimum of five
per cent of the money involved in the corruption case reported.
The
payment of the money would however be made after the successful recovery of the
affected sum to government coffers, while informants whose info provide false
hint, risk prosecution and jail.
The
minister said standard procedures had also been introduced to ensure the
protection of the identities of information providers during the payment
process.
Mrs.
Adeosun explained that all payments were taxable and were only made upon
confirmation of the final recovery of related assets, after confirmation by the
Attorney-General of the Federation as being free of legal disputes.
The
Minister also gave details of the Whistle-blower Unit, a multi-agency team
resident in the Ministry of Finance Headquarters.
The
unit is staffed by personnel from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC), State Security Services (SSS), the Nigeria Police Force and
Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), among others.
“The Whistle-blower Unit is the first line of response to whistle-blower information,
where initial review is undertaken before cases are forwarded to the relevant
investigative agencies,” Mrs. Adeosun said.
The
Executive Council of the Federation approved the Whistle-blowers Policy launched
by the Minister of Finance in December 2016 to encourage members of the public
volunteer credible information about corruption cases in the country.
The
policy, which is part of the government’s anti-corruption campaign, has seen
the government receiving about 2,150 communications and 337 tips through the Whistle-blower Unit’s dedicated channels from various Nigerians.
The
minister said this has led to the recovery of substantial assets illegally
acquired by individuals across the country.
Details
of such asset recoveries are still not made public by government.
Despite
several demands by Nigerians, the government has continued to withhold the
information, claiming most of the affected assets were still subjects of legal
processes yet to be completed.
Mrs.
Adeosun said the primary purpose of the Whistle-blower policy was to support the
fight against financial crimes and corruption, promote accountability and
enhance transparency in the management of public finances.
She assured that the
present administration would continue to encourage all Nigerians with
information on misconduct, violation or improper activity, which could
negatively impact on the country, to report to the appropriate authority.
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