Govt. pays 20 whistleblowers in Nigeria N375.8 million

20 Whistleblowers who provided information that led to the recovery over N11.6 billion had been paid N375.8 million by the federal government of Nigeria, Premium Times reports. The Ministry of Finance, which confirmed the release in a statement, said the payments to the whistleblowers were the first under the Whistleblower Policy.

The government did not disclose the identities of the beneficiaries, apparently for security reasons.
“This payment is the first under the Whistleblower Policy,” the Minister for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said in the statement.

“The payment underscores the commitment of the President Muhmmadu Buhari-led administration to meet its obligations to information providers under the Whistleblower Policy, which is an essential tool in the fight against corruption.”

In response to the public cry that for the Whistleblowers programme is sustainable and that whistle blowers are guaranteed protection from intimidation, threat or victimisation there should be a passage of a Whistle Blowers Protection Law, the minister said recent amendments to the Whistleblower Policy of the government include the introduction of a formal legal agreement between information providers and the Federal Government. The agreement is executed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, she said.

In line with the policy, each whistleblower would be entitled to a minimum of five per cent of the money involved in the corruption case reported.

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