The Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has reiterated its commitment to reward and protect whistl
The Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has reiterated its commitment to reward and protect whistleblowers who provide information that led to the recovery of stolen funds or assets. Alhaji Mohammed 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 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.
Mohammed was reacting to whistle-blower, Abdulmunmini Musa’s decision to sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister and three others over the delay in the release of his whistle blowing fee. Musa has already filed a suit to that effect at a Federal High Court in Abuja. Three other defendants were those the plaintiff claimed participated in the whistle-blowing exercise over the Ikoyi funds said to have been kept in the building by the National Intelligence Agency. They are Bala Maina, Steven Sunday, and one Mr. Sherrif.
Addulmunmini Musa allegedly disclosed the information leading to the recovery of the sum of $43.4m, N23.3m and 27,800 Euros from Flat 7 Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos State. In his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1158/2017, he sought an order directing the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance to include him as a beneficiary of the 2.5 to 5 per cent of the whistle-blowing fees or monetary percentage of the entitlement to be paid to Maina, Sunday and Sheriff.
He also sought a declaration that the Federal Government of Nigeria represented by the 2nd and 3rd defendants (EFCC and AGF) in this suit and the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th defendants are bound to comply with the whistleblowers Executive policy or Whistle-blowers Executive Order to pay 2.5 – 5 per cent of whistle-blowing fees or percentage as issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria
