SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has stated that its whistle blower policy is working and has led to the recovery of looted funds in many currencies, adding that the policy has made looters resort to burying stolen funds in their backyards, in deep forests and even in burial grounds.
This was as the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who on behalf of his state has claimed ownership of the N13bn discovered at the Ikoyi luxury apartment in Lagos last week, turned to God to ensure that the funds he alleged were looted by his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, were returned to his state.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Segun Adeyemi, stressed that government will continue to rejig the policy and make it more effective as a tool for fighting corruption.
He disclosed that government would provide a full account of all the recovered funds to Nigerians and lauded the enthusiasm and commitment of citizens in helping the government to tackle corruption through the disclosure of useful leads to the appropriate government agencies.
According to Mohammed, “Since we launched the whistle blower policy, we have received immeasurable support from Nigerians.
“Yes, there is a monetary reward for any information that leads to the 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.”
The minister pointed out that more funds were in the possession of looters than to government at all levels to meets its obligations including paying workers’ salaries and providing social amenities.
“’As the looters continue to run helter-skelter, many of them are even abandoning their booty at unusual places, including airports. We want to assure Nigerians that we will not abandon this policy for whatever reason,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that as soon as the necessary reconciliation process and the litigation in some of the cases are concluded, government would give a full account of the recoveries to Nigerians.
Mohammed reassured those with useful information on looted funds that the government will protect their identities and give them their stipulated reward.
But speaking during the Easter service at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Rumuepirikom, the Rivers Governor said the church has a responsibility to pray that God touches the federal government to return the money to the coffers of Rivers State, because the money belongs to the state government.
THEWILL had exclusively reported the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, as claiming ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos, owned by ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Adamu Muazu.
A source in the agency said that the money was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for covert operations and security projects covering a period of years.
But Wike said, “We need the prayers of the church because there is nothing that prayers cannot do. Pray that God should touch the Government of Nigeria, so that they will return the money to us. What we are interested is for the money to come back to us”.
He continued that contrary to the “false propaganda” being peddled by Amaechi, he has not declared war on the federal government, adding that the Rivers government was simply requesting for the return of the funds belonging to the state.
He said: “I cannot declare war on the Federal Government. Anybody bringing Buhari’s name into this matter should leave Buhari and face his own problems. The issue is: who kept the money at the Ikoyi residence?
“The money was kept there by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.”
The Governor vowed that “no amount of blackmail, no amount of distraction will stop us from getting our money”.
He said that between 70 and 80 per cent of the All Progressives Congress, APC, campaigns in 2015 were sponsored using funds sourced from the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Amaechi.
Wike said that the selective war against corruption would not help development in the country.
He wondered why security intelligence works against opponents of the federal government, but when glaring corruption issues pop up like the Ikoyi case, where millions of dollars allegedly belonging to Rivers State have been found, the war against corruption is suspended and diversionary tactics adopted.
The vicar of the church, Ven. Israel Omosioni, prayed to God to grant the request of Rivers people for the Ikoyi billions to be returned, adding that with the execution of projects across the state by Wike, additional funds would assist the government achieve more for the state.
