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, 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.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser,
Segun Adeyemi, Mr. Mohammed assured 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
Mr. 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
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