Whistle-blowing Policy in Nigeria is an anti-corruption programme that encourages people to voluntarily disclose information about fraud, bribery, looted government funds, financial misconduct, government assets and any other form of corruption or theft to the Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Finance. [1] [2] A whistle-blower who provides information about any financial mismanagement or tip about any stolen funds to the ministry's portal is rewarded or entitled to 2.5% - 5% percentage from the recovered funds by the Nigeria government. The policy was launched on December 21, 2016 by Nigeria's Federal Government and facilitated through the Federal Ministry of Finance. [3] [4] [5]
It was reported that within the first two months of the Whistle-blowing policy in Nigeria that Nigeria's Federal Government recovered over $178 million that were stolen from the government. By June 5, 2017, Federal Ministry of Finance received a total of 2,150 tips from the public, 128 tips came through the website of the ministry, 1,192 was through phone calls, 540 through SMS and 290 through email to the ministry. By July/August 2017, a total of 5000 tips was received. [6] [7] In October 2017, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu said that N527,643,500; $53,222.747; GBP21,222,890 and Euro 547,730 was recovered since the policy was launched. [8]
In 2017, a whistler-blower helped the Nigeria government to recover $43.5million, GBP27,800 and N23.2million at No. 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. It was also reported that Federal Ministry of Finance paid the whistler-blower the sum of N421million. [9] [10]
To protect whistle-blowers, civil society organizations have been engaged in a number of advocacy to ensure that people who blow whistle are protected. MacArthur Foundation is currently funding African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) to launch a whistle-blower campaign known as Corruption Anonymous. [11] [12]
Health advocates have urged Nigeria government to use the recovered funds to fund immunization and other health issues in Nigeria. [13]
A whistleblower is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whistleblowers can use a variety of internal or external channels to communicate information or allegations. Over 83% of whistleblowers report internally to a supervisor, human resources, compliance, or a neutral third party within the company, hoping that the company will address and correct the issues. A whistleblower can also bring allegations to light by communicating with external entities, such as the media, government, or law enforcement. Whistleblowing can occur in either the private sector or the public sector.
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Mohammed Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE FNIQS is a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015. After he lost his re-election in 2003, he was appointed the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic with no prior military background from 2003 to 2007, under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was later elected to the Senate in 2015, serving one term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kano Central Senatorial District.
Sule Lamido was born on served as Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor of Jigawa State in April 2007. He is a member of the former ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He ran successfully for reelection on 26 April 2011. In 2015 he and his sons were put on trial for embezzling state funds by the EFCC.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering. The EFCC was established in 2003, partially in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which named Nigeria as one of 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community's efforts to fight money laundering. The agency has its head office in Abuja, Nigeria.
Corruption is an anti-social attitude awarding improper privileges contrary to legal and moral norms and impairs the authorities' capacity to secure the welfare of all citizens. Corruption in Nigeria is a constant phenomenon. In 2012, Nigeria was estimated to have lost over $400 billion to corruption since its independence.
Kayode Oladele is a Nigerian human rights activist, lawyer and politician who was a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives representing Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency, Ogun State, from 2015–2019. He was the Chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on Financial Crimes and member of the House Committees on Justice, Human Rights, Rules and Business, Environment, Healthcare Services and Agricultural Institutions. He was elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress on 11 April 2015. Prior to that, he was Chief of Staff, office of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes.
Mohammed Bello Adoke is a Nigerian lawyer. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and was appointed Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation on 6 April 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.
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Ahmed Idris is a Nigerian financial accountant who served as the accountant general of Nigeria. He was appointed accountant general on 25 June 2015, to succeed Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla who was sacked by president Muhammadu Buhari on allegedly misappropriating N2.5 billion of security agencies’ funds. Idris was re-appointed accountant general after Buhari won a second term in 2019 and was suspended from office on may 18 2022 by the nigerian finance minister for misappropriating the fund of 80 Billion naira.
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