The Federal Government says its anti corruption agencies have been
inundated with information of how looters have resorted to burying stolen
funds in their backyards, deep forests and burial grounds.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who
disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos, said the whistle
blower policy is working and has led to the recovery of more looted funds
in many currencies.
Mohammed assured in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Mr Segun
Adeyemi, that all the recovered looted funds were safe and government will
give full account to Nigerians.
The minister thanked Nigerians for their enthusiasm and commitment in
helping the government to tackle corruption through disclosure of useful
leads to appropriate government agencies.
“Since we launched the whistle blower policy, we have received
immeasurable support from Nigerians.
“Yes, there is monetary reward for any information that leads to recovery
of looted funds, but from what we have seen, most of the Nigerians who
have come forward with useful leads were driven by patriotism rather than
reward.
”Nigerians, fired by a fervid resolve to help banish corruption from their
country, have daily inundated the offices of the appropriate government
agencies with valuable information.
“We have been told how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in
their backyards, in deep forests and even in burial grounds.
”Thanks to whistle-blowers, it is now clear that a rapacious few have
pillaged the nation’s wealth through a vicious orgy of corrupt practices,”
he said.
The minister, however, noted that more funds were in the possession of
looters than were available to government at all levels to meets its
obligations including paying workers’ salaries and providing social
amenities.
He stressed that the government will not abandon the policy for whatever
reason, but will continue to rejig it and make it more effective as a tool
for fighting corruption.
The minister assured that as soon as the necessary reconciliation process
and the litigation in some of the cases were concluded, government would
give full account of the recovered looted funds to Nigerians.
Mohammed re-assured Nigerians who have useful information on looted funds
that the government will protect their identities and give them
their stipulated reward.
NAN