Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday disclosed how a whistle-blower recently rejected commission from recovered N1 billion loot.
He also claimed that $160 million and N8 billion have been recovered through the whistle-blowing policy.
The minister stated this, yesterday, at the inauguration of Human Rights Radio in Abuja.
He said the whistle-blower turned down the reward because he believed it was service rendered to the country.
He said, “I want to put on record that the fellow through whom we recovered N1 billion, in an account, told us he does not want any commission from government because that was his contribution to the country.
‘’But, I can assure you that we are not going to renege on our promise to pay the appropriate commission to anyone who gives us information that leads to recovery of money through this policy.”
According to Mohammed, the government would put every measure in place to end the difficult times in the country.
He added, “The greatest assaults to our collective human rights are those people who have stolen our money.
“They are those people who have pocketed the money meant for roads, water, power and medical care.
“Those are the people who have assaulted our collective human rights, who have reduced the average Nigerians to nothingness and humiliated this country.
“The whistle-blowing policy is a very simple policy through which we encourage Nigerians who have any information about the violation of our rights, commission of a crime, fraud or corruption or any Nigerian who knows where certain money is being held or kept to anonymously contact us.
“We will protect his or her identity and if the information leads to the recovery of money, he or she will be entitled to 2.5 per cent or 5 per cent of the money recovered.
“We have three channels of passing the information which could be through dedicated SMS, a portal and an e-mail address and all of them are secured,’’ he said.
The minister said that within two months of announcing the whistle blowers policy, the government has been able to recover $160 million and N8 billion.
He noted that the $9.7 million kept in an uncompleted house in Kaduna by a former group managing director of NNPC was recovered through the policy.
“Somebody gave us the information; we went there and saw the money loaded in fridges and boxes and the owner has admitted that the money belong to him.
“He said the money was given to him by friends after he retired and we want those friends to come forward,’’ said Mohammed.
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