More Nigerians may now be tempted to become whistleblowers with the federal government paying a whopping N375.8 million to 20 providers of information under its Whistleblower Policy. According to the federal ministry of finance, the payment of various amounts totaling N375,875,000 was made to the beneficiaries whose information led to the recovery of N11,635,000,000.
Salisu Dambatta, director of information, ministry of finance, quoted Kemi Adeosun, minister of Finance, as saying that, “This payment, which is the first under the Whistleblower Policy, underscores the commitment of the President Muhmmadu Buhari-led administration in meeting obligations to information providers under the Whistleblower Policy.” She added that the policy is an essential tool in the fight against corruption, and that new procedures have also been introduced to the implementation of the policy 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.
Adeoun also gave details of the Whistleblower Unit, WBU, a multi-agency team, which is resident in 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.
The Ministry of Finance said 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.
Adeosun 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.