TheNewsGuru

Tag: Whistleblower

  • Whistleblower policy a successful initiative– Adeosun

    Whistleblower policy a successful initiative– Adeosun

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, says the whistleblower policy of the Federal Government is one of the current administration’s successful initiatives.

    She said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a seminar organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) on “The Whistleblower Policy and its Implication for Public Servants’’.

    The Whistleblower Policy was introduced in December 2016 by the Federal Government as part of the initiatives to wage war against corruption.

    According to Adeosun, as at July, over 5,000 reports have been made through various reporting channels, 365 actionable tips are received out of the 5000 reports.

    She said that over half of the reports came from public servants.

    The minister said the tips related to issues of contract inflation, ghost workers, illegal recruitment and misappropriation of funds.

    Others according to her, include illegal sale of government assets, diversion of revenues and violation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) regulations.

    The minister also said that the information received showed that certain types of tips were recurring.

    “Thirty-nine per cent (144) of the actionable tips relate to misappropriation and diversion of funds/revenue, 16 per cent (60) relate to ghost workers, illegal recruitment and embezzlement of funds meant for personnel emolument.

    “Fifteen per cent (56) relate to violation of TSA regulation, 13 per cent (49) relate to contract inflation/violation of the Procurement Act.

    “Others include failure to carry out projects for which funds have been released and nine per cent (34) relate to non-remittance of pension and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) deductions.’’

    According to the minister, others include concealed bail-out funds and embezzlement of funds from donor agencies.’’

    She also said the whistleblower was entitled to between 2.5 per cent and five per cent of the amount recovered as an incentive.

    This, she said, only applied to whistleblowers that provided information that were original and directly led to the recovery of stolen or concealed funds or assets.

    “Of course, balance is necessary in every policy.

    “You will note that as keen as we are for officers to provide information, there are serious consequences for providing false or malicious information, including the possibility of prosecution.

    “We must ensure that people are not victims of personal grudges or private misunderstandings.

    She said in the first batch payment, N325 million had been paid as reward for whistleblowers, while payment for the next batch would soon be made.

    Adeosun said it was wrong to recruit staff without appropriate authorisation, adding that the Federal Government was working on measures to address the situation.

  • ICPC arraigns whistleblower for raising false alarm on ex-VP Sambo

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Abubakar Sani for providing false information to the commission.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Sani’s information had led to the raid on the residence of former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, on June 28, in Kaduna by ICPC and Directorate of State Services (DSS) operatives.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that since the raid on the property, the ICPC had not said if anything incriminating was found.

    The whistleblower, who was arraigned on Thursday before Justice Aliyu Tukur of the Kaduna State High Court, is facing a two-count charge of providing false information and misleading a public officer while on lawful duty.

    Counsel to the commission, Elijah Akaakohol, said the accused had provided the false information to an official of the commission on June 21, 2017.

    Akaakohol told the court that Sani had claimed to have transported boxes of money in local and foreign currencies from Abuja airport to the house at Ungwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna in 2013, which he suspected to be ill-gotten wealth and still at the house.

    The counsel added that it was based on the claim that the accused “made officers of the commission to carry out a sting operation that turned out to be false”.

    Sani, who appeared at the court without legal representation, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The judge directed that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till Thursday, November 2, for hearing.

    Before the adjournment, Justice Tukur advised the accused to get a counsel to stand for him at the next adjourned date.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that some heavily armed security operatives recently raided Sambo’s the residence in Kaduna.

    The operatives are believed to have come from the State Security Service, SSS, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC.

     

  • Court grants N500,000 bail to whistleblower on Ekweremadu

    A Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, on Monday granted bail in the sum of N500,000 to 50-year-old businessman, Ahmed Echoda, who allegedly gave false information to the Police about Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s guest house.

    The judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, also ordered the defendant‎ to provide one surety who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned the case until July 20 for hearing.

    The defendant was arraigned on May 30 on a two-count charge, bordering on criminal conspiracy and giving false information to mislead a public servant, offences he denied committing.

    The judge had adjourned ruling on the defendant’s bail application after the defence counsel, Peters Ugwuoke, applied for his bai.

    The prosecutor, Malik Taiwo, had told the court that ‎the defendant and one Maiwada Adamu, now at large, had given false information to the Inspector General of Police, Special Tactical Squad, Force Headquarters, Abuja on May 26.

    He added that the defendant said House No. 10, Gamges St., Maitama, Abuja, was used for criminal activities, including storage of arms and ammunition .
    The guest house belongs to the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
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    The prosecutor said that after the police carried out diligence execution of the search warrant, no incriminating items were found.

    He said by so doing, the defendant misled the police, adding that the offences contravened Sections 97 and 140 of the Penal Code.