Whistleblowing: FG Recovers N594.09bn In Less Than Three Years– Sagay, SAN

The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, has called on anti-graft agencies and Ministry of Justice to consider exporting the whistleblower policy of the federal government abroad.

The policy, he said, led to the recovery of N594.09 billion in less than three years of its introduction.

He spoke on Wednesday at African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)/ PACAC workshop on Entrenching whistleblowing in regulatory and revenue-generating agencies in Nigeria held in Abuja.

He said the policy has been very successful not only in terms of assets recovered but also by revelation of magnitude of various scams used by fraudulent Nigerians in bleeding the country’s purse.

He also said various types of infractions were committed in the reported 791 cases.

According to Sagay: ” As at November 2019, less than three years after the introduction of the policy, the Federal Government had recovered N594.09 billion from the imp,emendation of the policy.”

The success of the policy he said had led to calls from Nigerians abroad that the Federal Government should export the initiative to known countries where looted funds are always laundered.

He said: “Some Nigerians living abroad, particularly in the USA, have suggested that the whistle blower’s policy should be operated abroad in order to expose Nigerians who loot our funds, and then launder them abroad by buying expensive properties in the name of their relatives living or studying abroad.

“According to those pushing this proposal, some former governors transferred public funds abroad and used them to purchase expensive and luxurious properties in the names of their relations residing in the foreign country concerned.

“The idea is that our government should appropriate tip off contact the FBI in the USA to investigate such relations regarding their source of funds for the properties in their names.

“Since making a false statement to the FBI is a felony with the definite consequence of imprisonment, these siblings or relations of the real Nigerians owners will confess to being mere fronts and recovery of such assets can proceeds from there. I believe this is a worthwhile process deserving consideration by our anti-corruption agencies and the Federal ministry of Justice, particularly under the mutual legal assistance agreement we already have with many developed countries.”

Sagay also supported the call for legislation for the whistle blower policy, which he said will encourage more people to come out with information which will lead to recovery of assets.