The federal government said it recovered over N83 billion, $609 million and 5.4 million euros in liquid assets between 2017 and 2023 following the introduction of the Whistleblowing Policy by the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
It also disclosed that all recoveries were lodged in 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).
Director, Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), Ministry of Finance, Yusuf Sule, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja at a sensitisation workshop on, “The Implementation of the Whistleblowing Policy in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Way Forward.”
But Sule did not provide any hint on immovable assets recovered during the review period.
Despite glaring challenges, Sule, who unveiled the status report on the implementation of the Whistleblowing Policy since inception, stated that some milestones had been recorded.
He said, “Following a useful tip by a whistle-blower in 2017, EFCC raided and successfully recovered the sums of $ 43.5 million, 27,800 pounds, and N23.2 million in Lagos (Flat 7b, No 16, Osborne Towers) in 2017.
“As proof of whistleblowing success story, which is attributable to the cooperation from patriotic members of the society who volunteered useful information, the earlier celebrated case of whistleblowing in Nigeria led to the recovery of the sums of N70,925,225,642.95, $9,777,439.99, and £21,500.00.”
Sule explained that the responsibility for coordinating the policy rested with the Minister of Finance, while PICA served as the secretariat.
He identified other critical stakeholders as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS), Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and Nigeria Police.
He stated that the policy was launched to encourage the citizenry to take ownership of the fight against corruption, rather than leaving it in the hands of the anti-graft agencies alone.
Sule added that the launch of the whistleblowing policy had been received with great enthusiasm by patriotic Nigerians, home and abroad, suggesting that it was long-awaited.
But Sule lamented that the otherwise laudable policy had been beset by several challenges, including lack of involvement by citizens, the culture of silence, and the absence of a legal framework. He said at present, there was no legislation of the National Assembly backing the policy.
In his keynote address, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, stated that the Whistle-blowing Policy established clear procedures for reporting financial malpractices. Edun said this had helped in ensuring confidentiality and protection of the whistle-blower.
Edun stated, “It clearly outlines how investigations should be handled such that the whistle-blower is protected and the accused is equally treated by the rule of law.
“Permit me to state that it is our collective responsibility to create an environment where the Nigerian populace feels confident and protected in reporting unethical or illegal activities capable of jeopardising the overall development of the country.”
According to the minister, the move to establish a robust system for reporting and addressing grievances is to ensure that public institutions remain accountable to the populace. He said this would be continually pursued in strict compliance with the rule of law as one of the pillars of good governance.
Stating that the present administration cherished the right to privacy and protection of every Nigerian, Edun said the whistleblowing policy was not meant to witch-hunt but to preserve the collective resources for the development of Nigeria.
He stressed that focus was on three key areas of the policy, namely, public awareness, protection of whistle-blowers, and effective response mechanism.
Edun said, “I may not be wrong to say that despite the good intention and achievements of the policy, there is still somehow public misconception about the policy, which has made regular stakeholders’ engagement indispensable in order to further enlighten the public on the policy.
“As part of measures to ensure smooth operation of the Whistle-blowing Policy, government is committed to guaranteeing the whistle-blower’s protection from possible reprisals by handling their reports with the utmost confidentiality.
“The policy provides mechanism for this protection, and it is our duty to uphold these provisions and support those who come forward to blow the whistle.”
The minister disclosed that the executive was working towards President Bola Tinubu re-presenting the Whistleblowing Bill to the current National Assembly for necessary legislative action. He expressed the expectation that the public would support the expeditious passage of the bill by the National Assembly.
The bill on the policy was not passed by the ninth National Assembly.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Permanent Secretary (Special Duties), Ministry of Finance, Okokon Udo, recalled that since its inception in December 2016, the whistleblowing policy had proven to be one of the veritable tools for uncovering corrupt practices within the public and private sectors.
Udo said it had empowered citizens to report to the relevant authorities identified misappropriation of public funds and other fraudulent activities, thereby contributing immensely towards institutionalisation of transparency and accountability in governance.
He added that, like other policies of the government, the implementation of the policy had encountered challenges. He stressed that at the initial stage, there was widespread enthusiasm among Nigerians following the introduction of the policy.
Udo said the momentum and popularity that heralded introduction of the whistleblowing policy needed to be reinforced and sustained.