Nigerians aided EFCC to recover billions of Naira, says Magu

THE Whistleblowing Policy of the Federal Government has helped in the recovery of cash running into billions, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu has said.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday at the unveiling of “Corruption Anonymous” of the Civil Society Whistleblower Support Initiative of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Magu said the commission has recovered cash in various currencies.

He listed the recovered money as: N527,643,500; $53,222,747; £21,222,890 and Euro 547,730.

The EFCC boss explained that the commission has put in place an enabling environment, which encourages people to report crime and corruption.

Magu added that majority of those who gave out information did it out of patriotism and not for the reward.

He said: “At the EFCC, we have created an environment where those who have information about corrupt practices can approach the commission to provide information, confident that the information they give us will be put into effective use. Moreover, since the commencement of the whistle-blower policy, we have received hundreds of actionable tips that led to the following cash recoveries: N527,643,500; $53,222,747; GBP 21,222,890 and Euro 547,730.

“Through this window, we have seen many Nigerians, whose motivation was not just to benefit from the recoveries, as promised by the Federal Government, but the satisfaction of having to see that what was ill-gotten has been recovered for the good of all.

“Those in this category were motivated by their sense of justice and overriding national interest, not the financial reward. We urge more Nigerians to borrow a leaf from these patriotic individuals.”

The EFCC boss added: “On our part, we have always treated every tip referred to us with strict sense of responsibility, bearing in mind that such undertaking on the part of the whistle-blower is usually a matter of trust and even risk. At the same time, we have been careful not to be used by mischief-makers, who would want to abuse this process. Let me reiterate that just as there is consequence for corruption, there will be consequence for those who want to take advantage of this noble initiative in the fight against corruption to create mischief.”

On the unveiling of “Corruption Anonymous”, Magu said the project will help in strengthening the whistleblower policy of the government.

Coordinator, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy Mr. Chido Onumah said the group had for long been deeply worried by the growing damaging effects of corruption and saw the whistle-blower policy of the Federal Government as opportunity to weigh in for a corruption-free society

Whistleblowing, he added, has provided a fresh impetus to the anti-graft war.

Reeling out the gains from the whistle blowing policy, Onumah said: “It has led to the recovery of staggering amounts of looted funds, thus proving to be an effective and reliable mechanism for combating the one singular vice that seems to have permanently arrested the development of Nigeria since independence.

Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye said it was the duty of the state to provide every enabling environment for the citizens to report crime and corruption.

Besides, he said the government must also demonstrate the willingness to deal with crime when it’s reported, and this he said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had demonstrated.

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