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Tag: Whistleblowing

  • Fed Govt recovers N83bn through whistleblowing

    Fed Govt recovers N83bn through whistleblowing

    The federal government has successfully recovered the sum of N83,019,178,375.86; $609,083,391.91, and €5,494,734.71 since the introduction of its whistleblowing policy in 2017.

    The achievement was seen as a testament to the effectiveness of the policy and the contributions of patriotic citizens who provided valuable information.

    Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the whistleblowing policy, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu is preparing to re-present “the Whistleblowing Bill to the National Assembly for legislative action.”

    He urged the public to support the expeditious passage of the Bill into law.

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    The minister emphasised the government’s commitment to implementing the present administration’s agenda and ensuring a robust legal framework to drive the implementation of the whistleblowing policy. He stressed that the policy is aimed at ensuring accountability of public institutions and promoting good governance.

    The minister assured the public that “the government values the right to privacy and protection of every Nigerian” and that “the whistleblowing policy is not intended to witch-hunt but rather to safeguard the nation’s resources for development”.

    He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting whistleblowers from reprisals and ensuring confidentiality in handling their reports.

    The Permanent Secretary of Special Duties at the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Okokon Ekanem Udo, acknowledged that the implementation of the policy has faced challenges. He emphasized the need to reinforce and sustain the initial enthusiasm that greeted the policy’s introduction.

    Mr. Yusuf Sule, the Director of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), stated that “the recovered funds represent only liquid assets and do not include non-movable properties or vehicles. He noted that all recoveries are paid into the FGN Assets Recovery Account maintained by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    To encourage whistleblowing, the government offers rewards. From one naira to a billion naira, there is a reward of five percent of the recovered sum, from one billion Naira to five billion Naira there is a four percent reward on the recovered amount, and for recoveries exceeding five billion Naira, the whistleblower will get to keep two percent of the recovered amount. “Whistleblowers are entitled to a percentage of the recovered funds, with the percentage varying based on the amount recovered.”

  • We’ve recovered N527b through whistleblowing, says EFCC

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered over N527 billion in two years through the Federal Government’s whistleblowing policy.

    Its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, stated this yesterday at a Southsouth town hall meeting on whistleblowing and the fight against corruption in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, by African Centre for Media and Information (AFRICMIL), in partnership with Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action).

    Magu, who was represented at the event by the commission’s official, Usman Mukhtar, said the agency within the period under review also recovered $53 million as well as over 122,000 pounds.

    He added that the amounts  were recovered following  the Federal Government’s whistleblowing policy.

    He said: “More successes are being made and the response by members of the public to the policy has been very encouraging.

    “The government’s  whistleblowing policy was introduced  in 2016 and  is geared towards fraud detection, tracking and reporting to appropriate agencies and to  enable patriotic citizens report criminal acts such as mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets, like properties and vehicles; financial malpractice or fraud; collecting / soliciting bribes; corruption; diversion of revenues; unapproved payments; splitting of contracts; procurement fraud; kickbacks and over-invoicing.”

    Magu explained that the policy gave avenues for patriotic Nigerians to report criminal acts, which were inimical to the country’s growth.

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    He, however, noted some challenges affecting the effectiveness of whistleblowing policy as including poor legislation, the security of whistleblowers and those intending whistleblowers.

    The Acting EFCC Chairman explained that the fear of victimisation or attacks of whistleblowers in their places of work were being addressed by the Whistleblower Protection Act passed by the National in 2017.

    “The Act provides that “a person who makes a disclosure shall not be subject to victimisation by his or her employers or by fellow employees.

    “Additionally, a person who makes a disclosure has the right to take legal action, if he or she is victimised, dismissed, suspended, declared redundant, transferred against his or her will, harassed or intimidated in any manner.”

    Assistant Director, Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit, Ministry of Finance Johnson Oludare explained why recovered looted funds were not immediately reinjected into the economy.

    He stated that until a final forfeiture order is obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction, nobody can disburse the funds.

    He said: “Not all the monies that we have been able to recover can be disbursed into the economy because of the legal hurdles that must be fully concluded. If funds are under interim forfeiture and the matter concerning that fund is not concluded in court, we cannot disburse it.

    “But for some funds that the legal hurdles have been crossed, we have put into the economy through the budget in the form of inflows.”

  • Whistleblowing: EFCC recovers N527b, Magu pledges political neutrality

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu yesterday said whistleblowing has led to the recovery of N527, 463, 500, $53, 222, 747, £122, 890 and €547,730.

    He said the EFCC will continue to be politically neutral in its operations and will go after anybody or institution with sufficient case to answer.

    He said the commission will never shield anyone from investigation and prosecution in accordance with law.

    Magu, who made the disclosures at an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja, said the “whistleblowing policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari is revolutionary.”

    He said: “The whistleblowing policy is designed to encourage citizens to volunteere information that could lead to the recovery of stolen funds in return for a token pay out, not more than five per cent of the total recovered sum, as incentive.

    “Since the policy came on stream, some humongous sums have been recovered by agencies saddled with the responsibility for its implementation.

    “Figures released by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun indicate that the government as at May this year had recovered N7.8billion, $278million and £27, 800.

    “At the level of EFCC, the lead anti-corruption agency in Nigeria, funds recovered through information provided by whistleblowers is as follows: N527, 463, 500, $53, 222, 747, £122, 890 and €547,730.”

    The EFCC chairman assured the nation of political neutrality and commitment to the Rule of Law.

    He added: “I will like to use this opportunity to assure you all and indeed the Nigerian public that the commission under my leadership will continue to abide by the following code of ethics:  That we will continue to put God first:

    • That the interest of our people is non-negotiable in all our operations;
    • That in the fight against corruption, the Commission, as a creation of the law, will continue to act within the ambit of the law;
    • That the commission will continue to be politically neutral in our operations and will go after anybody or institution that we sufficiently believe to have a case to answer; and
    • That the commission will never shield anyone from investigation and prosecution in accordance with law.

    “That said, I will also use this opportunity to highlight some of the major achievements of the commission in the past months. These achievements cover the areas of convictions, Recoveries, Tracking Election Financing, Putting Searchlight on the Judiciary and Accounting for Security Budgets.

    “Before we delve into the specifics, it would interest you to note that before now, it was inconceivable for law enforcement agencies to investigate the sources of election funding of political parties and their candidates. This has led to gross financial abuse and the perversion of the electoral process and consequently enthroned bad leadership which in turn led to corruption and bad governance.

    “ With our modest achievement in this area, I can assure you that our politicians will be more circumspect as we go into the next general election. And our people have all to gain in this process of disinfecting the electoral process by monitoring the financing of elections because it will help to improve good governance when good candidates are elected not money bags.

    “Secondly, before now, military budgets were no-go areas that unfortunately had hemorrhaged our country badly.

    “Of course we can say this now with the benefits of hindsight. Numerous senior military officers and their civilian accomplices implicated in the $2.1 billion arms deal fraud were investigated and arrested.

    “As you know, some of the people involved have refunded some monies they diverted and they are still standing trial for the roles they played in defrauding the country through the abuse of office.”

    Magu gave more insights into the ongoing moves to cleanse the Judiciary.

    He said: “There are also alleged corruption cases involving judges and even senior lawyers. Stories were rife of this alleged corruption so much so that the corrupt are now said to be shopping for “favourable” judges to handle their matters. The EFCC has decisively stepped in to put some Judges and lawyers on trial.

    “We have even secured the conviction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. We can say that we have helped in building public confidence again in our judiciary. Between January and August 2018, the commission has secured 158 convictions and still counting. While within the same period, we have recovered: N106,516,222,383.68; US$1,635,925.81; £ 629,193.65; and € 25,575.00.

    “Nonetheless, the Commission is currently collaborating with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to investigate and recover funds and properties within the provisions of the laws. So far, the Commission has recovered over N35 billion for the FIRS and about N4 billion for the AMCON. Tax liabilities of other institutions running into billions of naira have also been identified and the companies have agreed to pay.

    “Furthermore, in an effort to maximize and utilize some of the forfeited properties recovered by the Commission, numerous government agencies have been allocated such properties to be used as offices.

    “These magnificent properties are currently housing institutions such as the VAIDS office under the Ministry of Finance, a Unit from the Defence Headquarters, Voice of Nigeria, North-East Initiative and also the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD. This in a long run will drastically reduce the cost of rental by these institutions.”

  • Tax fraud: Govt probes 200 whistleblowing tips

    Tax fraud: Govt probes 200 whistleblowing tips

    The Federal Government has begun investigation into over 200 whistleblowing tips on tax officials demanding gratification and taxpayers involved in under declaration of taxes.

    Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun spoke yesterday in Abuja while presiding over the meeting of the Whistleblower Unit in the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA).

    The Federal Ministry of Finance had requested and secured the suspension of two senior tax officials in Delta and Benue states based on verified tips from Whistle-blowers.

    The ministry is analysing over 200 additional whistleblowing tips, including recordings between tax officials and potential taxpayers in which various practices, designed to reduce tax payable, were detailed.

    A statement by Oluyinka Akintunde, Special Adviser, Media and Communications to the Minister of Finance, quoted Mrs Adeosun as saying: “Encouraging our citizens to pay taxes is a matter of law but it is also a matter of trust. Those who work in our tax offices must therefore demonstrate the highest level of integrity.  However, people will not be encouraged to pay if they believe that those involved in the assessment are not transparent or are dishonest. We will continue to sanitise the system and also improve our controls.

    “The data analysis being undertaken within the Federal Ministry of Finance is readily   exposing those who have obtained tax clearance certificates that are either forged or are not consistent with their true income levels.”

  • Whistleblowing made tough

    It wasn’t expected to go the way it is going.  The drama began in April with the discovery of mind-boggling cash hidden in an up-scale apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, by anti-corruption fighters acting on a tip-off. It was expected that by now the whistleblower or whistleblowers in this case would have been rewarded based on the presidency’s whistleblowing policy.

    But the way things are going, the public can’t be sure what to expect. Another development further complicated the case. A report said: “A man, Abdulmunmini  Musa, claiming to be part of those who provided information that led security agents to recover $43.4 million, N23.3  million and 27, 800 Euros from Flat 7, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, has sought to be included as beneficiary of the compensation to be given to the whistle blowers by the Federal Government.”  It also said:   The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, has the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Ministry of Finance and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as defendants. Also listed as defendants are Bala Maina, Steven Sunday and Sheriff, who have been pencilled down as beneficiaries of government’s compensation for providing information that led to the recovery of the Ikoyi flat cash. Musa said he wants to be included in the compensation because he worked with Sunday, Maina and Musa to leak information about the Ikoyi cash to security agents. ..”

    The question of who should be paid what is compounded by the question of how much should be paid. The Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, was quoted as saying at an event last month: “If you blow the whistle and the government recovers cash, you are entitled to between 2.5 per cent and five per cent. The maximum limit is five per cent. According to the policy, if you blow the whistle and it is below N500m, you get four to five per cent because the higher the amount that is recovered, the lower the percentage that is given. This is the global best practice.”

    Owasanoye provided additional information that showed the public was given inadequate information about the policy when it was launched in December 2016. He explained: “If the recovery is between N500m and N1bn, you get three to four per cent (commission). If it is N1bn and above, it is 2.5 per cent. Indeed, there is a clause that we included in the policy to say that the government may determine the amount to be awarded based on other criteria provided that the amount to be awarded doesn’t exceed five per cent. In other words, the government may actually pay less than 2.5 per cent but nobody can be paid more than five per cent.”

    This belated explanation is inexcusable. It is unsurprising that Yakubu Galadima, a lawyer representing one of the whistleblowers expecting a reward in the Ikoyi Towers case, reportedly insisted on five per cent of the estimated N13 billion found in the expensive flat for his client. He said his client was expecting N860 million and not N325 million from the Federal Government.

    The gripping drama was intensified by a petition to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) by lawyers representing three claimants,   Abdulmumin Musa, Mr. Stephen Sunday and Mr. Bala Usman.  This petition tells the story from the beginning.  The twists and turns suggest that the story is far from its ending. A report said: “The solicitors noted that “Our clients informed us sometime in December 2016 that three (3) of them voluntarily walked into the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) at 15A Awolowo Road Ikoyi, Lagos and gave vital information that led to the recovery of over N13 billion at the Ikoyi Towers, Lagos.” The Legal Practitioners further told the AGF that “upon subsequent visit to give a detailed information as required by the commission to raid the tower, they were told if the operation was successful, 5% of the amount recovered will be their take home within 72 hours of recovery, they were also cautioned that if the information happened to be false, then they will definitely be in trouble which the three mentioned above accepted because they were sure of their facts”. The petition continues: “That when the operation was carried out, it was successful but since then they have not received any commendation by the commission, let alone given any reward as stated even though the EFCC have their names and phone numbers”.

    The report added: “The Petitioners said rather than to do the needful, some of the EFCC staff gave them further information that they were not the only people who gave them information on the Ikoyi Towers as others were also involved without mentioning them. Upon various meetings by the three persons mentioned above, they agreed to go back and meet the Head of EFCC operations, Alhaji Samaila Muhammed and were told on their visit that the numbers have increased to nine (9) who made the report urging them to bring the remaining persons.”

    So, how many people played the whistleblower in the Ikoyi Towers case? The public was not expected to know their identities, but three or four names are known to the public and more names may become public. It is obvious that this attention-grabbing case has been badly managed by the authorities. There shouldn’t have been any controversy about who blew the whistle and how much should be paid as reward. There shouldn’t have been any name credited with whistleblowing in the public domain.

    It is noteworthy that Owasanoye was quoted as saying: “As of the end of October, over 5,000 whistles had been blown and about 75 per cent of that came from phone calls. So, you can report on the website, email, text message or phone call. “What are the things that the various communications have covered? Contract inflation, ‘ghost workers’, payment of unapproved funds, embezzlement of salaries, diversion of excess crude funds, improper reduction of financial penalties, diversion of funds meant for people, placing money in a commercial bank, non-remittance of deduction of pensions or NHIS and failure to implement projects.”

    He added:  “Others include embezzlement of funds received from donors, embezzlement of payment meant for personnel emoluments, violation of TSA which is the highest, violation of FIRS regulations, non-procurement of safety equipment, money laundering, illegal sale of government assets, diversion of IGR which is the second largest, financial misappropriation, concealed bailout funds, mismanagement of micro-finance banks and illegal recruitment.”

    The presidency expects more whistleblowing, and there may well be more.  But what will happen to the whistleblowers, considering what is happening in the Ikoyi Towers case?

  • FG reiterates commitment to reward, protect whistleblowers

    FG reiterates commitment to reward, protect whistleblowers

    The Federal Government on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to reward and protect whistleblowers who provided information that led to recovery of stolen funds or assets.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this during a visit to the head office of Leadership newspaper in Abuja.

    Mohammed, who was responding to a question on the stash of money recovered from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, said the whistleblowers would get the due reward.

    He clarified the compensation modality as contained in the framework, saying any whistle-blower whose information led to recovery of up to N1 billion would receive five per cent of the amount.

    He said the reward for any amount between N1 billion and N5 billion was 5 per cent for the first N1 billion and four per cent of the remaining N4 billion.

    The minister added that any amount above N5 billion would attract 2.5 per cent reward.

    Mohammed noted that the policy of government was to keep the identity of whistle blowers secret.

    He described as unfortunate the situation where more than one person came out as whistle blowers for the Ikoyi recovery.

    He disclosed that Federal Government had come up with comprehensive strategy to tackle violent extremism across the country.

    He said the strategy was contained in a document entitled “Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Mohammed said the document was developed after consultations with agencies of government, civil society organisations, the media and academia, as well as the international community.

    He also spoke on the various policies and programmes of government at revamping the economy, building infrastructure and creating jobs.

    On the fight against corruption, Mohammed said government was winning the war, having succeeded in driving corruption under the table.

    He hailed Leadership newspaper for carrying out its duties professionally.

    NAN

  • Whistleblowing takes off in Abia

    Whistleblowing takes off in Abia

    A handsome reward awaits you if your whistleblowing leads to the apprehension of a violent criminal in Abia State, SUNNY NWANKWO reports 

    Elsewhere in the country, whistleblowing is a growing industry. It has produced instant millionaires while exposing piles of potentially ill-gotten cash. In Abia State it is also taking root, but the target is different. Rather than squeal on people who hide stolen money at home, bury it at the cemetery or in the farms or stow it away in overhead water reservoirs, Abia whistleblowers will be exposing violent criminals such as kidnappers and armed robbers. And for their efforts, they get a tidy sum. Not a bad deal, provided their effort leads to the apprehension of outlaws in the state. The state governor Okezie Ikpeazu promised them that much.

    Whistleblowing has taken a life of its own since President Muhammadu Buhari took office. This followed the discovery that corrupt individuals who were being busted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had devised another strategy to hide their stolen cash. Huge sums were quickly withdrawn from banks and kept anywhere they deemed fit: wardrobes, septic tanks, cemeteries and farm pits, among other locations.

    In order to beat the plans of these corrupt leaders, the federal government introduced the whistleblowing policy where the persons who give tips that lead to the arrest of corrupt leaders will get a certain percent of the monies recovered.

    The whistleblowing policy of the federal government has yielded fruit since it was introduced. One state which recently took a cue from the federal government is Abia where whistleblowers have joined in fighting insecurity as the state government promised about N1m for anyone who exposes criminals in their community. Any policeman who kills a kidnapper also gets N1m.

    Ikpeazu, who was a guest of an Aba-based radio programme, said his government would start demolishing kidnappers’ dens identified by whistleblowers. Ikpeazu stated that the demolition would begin soon geared towards discouraging people from using their facilities for keeping kidnap victims.

    The governor who commended Abia State Command of Nigeria Police Force, whose men at Omoba in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government of the state recently busted a kidnapping gang and rescued a victim they held in captivity, also disclosed that he would be visiting a police officer who sustained bullet wounds during a shootout with the kidnappers.

    He also disclosed that the state government would be rewarding whistleblowers in the state that assisted the police and other security agencies to expose the whereabouts and activities of kidnappers and hoodlums in their neighbourhood.

    The governor further stated that his administration would continue to support the police and other security agencies in fighting crime in Aba and other parts of the state to promote business activities and to ensure that the resident sleep with their eyes closed.

  • Whistleblowing: Police raid ex-Minister Adoke’s house

    About 10 policemen from the Force Headquarters yesterday invaded the house of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), ostensibly on a tip-off from a whistle-blower.

    However,the  one-hour search was in vain as  no money or incriminating documents were found.

    The ex-minister ,reacting to the development, said it was the fourth time he would  be subjected to search.

    Adoke alleged that the searches were in “furtherance of an orchestrated plan to harass, intimidate and generally prevent me from pursuing my suit against the Federal Government.

    The policemen, according to eyewitnesses, stormed Adoke’s  country home in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Okene, at about 4.15pm allegedly looking for cash.

    The search, which was conducted under tight security, ended at about 5.15pm.

    It was learnt that the policemen included eight from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, one from the Area Command in Okene and another belongs to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Federal).

    Apart from pistols and rifles, the policemen also mobilized diggers and axes for use to gain entrance into the residence.

    The ex-minister’s relations, led by Mr. Abdul Adoke(a junior brother), cooperated with the team.

    Abdul said: “The policemen presented a search warrant obtained from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu in Abuja. Their leader identified himself as a police officer from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, but he refused to disclose his identity.

    “They said they came to screen the duplex based on some clues. They came with pistols and rifles, but there was no resistance from our family. We obliged the policemen their request.

    “I quickly mobilized all the security men in the area to witness the search. They ransacked the house from the Boys’ Quarters to the Guest Room and the ex-minister’s master bedroom and the  wife’s bedroom.

    “They also climbed the surface tank and the roof at the pent house. They also frisked all the upholstery chairs in the house and the dining set.

    “After about one-hour search, they said nothing was found in the house. They wrote a report which I and three others countersigned, indicating that there was no cash or document retrieved from the residence.”

    Yesterday’s incident was the third time Adoke went through such a search.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had raided the ex-minister’s residence in Kano on April 12, 2017.

    Also, on  May 6, 2017, the Nigeria Police team invaded the three-bedroom bungalow of Alhaji Bashir Adoke, the junior brother of the former minister.

    The EFCC had filed charges against the ex-AGF,  a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Dan Etete, a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar and eight others over the auctioning of Malabu Oil Block.

    The others are Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited;  Nigeria Agip  Exploration Limited; ENI SPA; Malabu Oil and Gas Limited; Ralph Wetzels (ex- Director of SNEPCO); Casula Roberto (Italian) whilst being the Director of AGIP; Pujatti Stefeno (Italian) while being the Director in AGIP; and Burafato Sebastiano (Italian).

    Also sued was his successor, AGF Abubakar Malami (SAN), over the Settlement Agreement of the controversial $1.09billion Malabu Oil Block (OPL 245).

    He asked the court to declare that he acted on the agreement based on the directives of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He urged the court to declare his ongoing prosecution by the   EFCC  on account of carrying out the lawful directives of the former President as illegal, null and void.

    He said he could not be held personally liable for carrying out the lawful directives of the former President.

    In a  statement, which he personally signed, Adoke faulted the latest search and described  it as an attempt to intimidate him.

    He said: “I have just been informed that my country home in Okene, Kogi State, built some 12 years ago was today 14th July, 2017 thoroughly searched by men of the Nigeria Police Force.  Armed with a Search Warrant from the High Court of the FCT sitting at Gudu District, Abuja, the 12 policemen searched the whole building, including the overhead and underground water tank, septic tanks, the penthouse and Boys Quarters apparently looking for foreign currency (dollars and pound sterling) and other unspecified documents.

    “However, unlike previous searches, which were conducted in the crudest manner with the aim of needlessly destroying property, these policemen conducted themselves professionally and were civil in their approach, thereby giving credence to the new image of the force as a reformed institution.

    “At the end of the almost two-hour search, no incriminating thing was found in the house and a report to that effect was duly prepared and witnessed by those who were present, including my junior brother, Abdullahi Adoke.

    “This will be the 4th time my home will be subjected to search at the instance of Nigeria’s law enforcement personnel. It will be recalled that my student home in The Hague, Netherlands was searched at the instance of the EFCC.

    “This was followed by the search of my country home in Kano and the search of my junior brother’s house also in Okene and today’s search of my own home in Okene. While all these searches have been futile in the sense that nothing incriminating was found, the law enforcement personnel still persist in this fruitless exercise.

    “I am, therefore, convinced that the searches are in furtherance of an orchestrated plan to harass, intimidate and generally prevent me from pursuing my suit against the federal government.

    “ I served Nigeria diligently as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for  five years and two months and I am proud of the modest achievements I recorded in the Justice and other sectors that my inputs impacted.

    “I am, therefore, utterly surprised that at the end of my service, agencies of the state, especially the EFCC, have chosen to align with those with personal grudges and scores to settle with me for refusing to allow my office to be used in their fight to gain ownership and control of OPL 245 granted to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.

    “I am, however, certain that at the appropriate time, all those behind my travails will be exposed and shamed.

    “By the grace of God, Nigerians will be made aware of the ignoble roles some of their so-called leaders are playing in furtherance of their personal interests in the guise of fighting corruption.”

  • Whistleblowing: Ministry receives 2,351 tips

    The Ministry of Finance, says it has so far received 2,351 tips from whistleblowers bordering on cases of embezzlement of government funds, looting of assets and contract inflation, among others.

    In a statement signed by Mr Festus Akanbi, the Special Adviser, Media to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun said the tips came via text messages, calls, email and forms filled on the ministry’s website.

    “We have received 95 feedback through our website, www.whistle.finance.gov.ng, 1,550 tips came through calls on 09098067946 and SMS, 412.

    “Also, 194 people sent us emails on whistle@finance.gov.ng) – 194

    He said that out of the 2,351, the office was currently following up on 154 tips, it had deemed actionable.

    “Some of the tip types include: contract inflation and conversion of government assets to personal use, ghost workers, payment of unapproved funds and embezzlement of salaries of terminated personnel.

    “Also reported include improper reduction of financial penalties, diversion of funds meant for distribution to a particular group of people, especially farmers and diversion of funds to personal commercial Bank Accounts to earn interest.

    “Furthermore, we are following up on cases of non-remittance of pension and NHIS deductions, failure to implement projects for which funds have been provided, embezzelment of funds received from donor agencies and violation of TSA regulations by keeping funds in Commercial banks.

    ” We are also looking into violations of FIRS (VAT) regulation by adjusting Value Added Tax payment, non-procurement of equipment required for Aviation Safety, money laundering and diversion of funds meant for approved projects,” he said.

    Akanbi said that top on the Minister’s agenda, as the Chairman of the Whistleblower programme, was to investigate illegal sale of government assets, diversion of revenue (IGR), concealed bailout funds, Illegal recruitment and violation of procurement Act.

    It will be recalled that late last year, the Federal Government set up the Whistleblower programme to make it easy for the public to give information bordering on violation of financial regulations, mismanagement of public funds and assets and other financial malpractice.

    The Federal Government promised any whistle-blower whose information leads to the recovery of up to N1 billion Naira, five  per cent of the amount.

    While for any amount above N1 billion, up to N5 billion Naira, the whistleblower stands to get  four cent commission, and of any amount over N5 billion, it will attract 2.5 per cent reward.

    However, in the press statement, the Ministry of Finance was silent about how much it has paid to  whistleblowers, whose information led to recovery of looted funds.