The Federal Government yesterday reported that it had recovered about N174.7 billion so far through the Whistleblowing Policy.
According to the data provided on the successes recorded so far in the war against corruption by the Presidency on Democracy Day, the Whistleblower policy had helped government to recover N13.8 billion from tax evaders as well as N7.8 billion, US$378 million and £27,800 from public officials targeted by whistleblowers.
The Presidency disclosed that since implementation, the Ministry of Finance had received a total of 8,373 communications on contract inflation, ghost workers, illegal recruitment and misappropriation of funds, as a result of the Whistleblower Policy.
Of this number of communications, 1,231 are specifically whistleblowing tips.
The report showed that in May 2018, government paid N439.2 million to about 14 whistleblowers who gave specific tips on tax evasion.
This is even as the Presidency also stated that the Finance Ministry had also undertaken 791 investigations and completed 534 of those investigations with 10 percent of those investigated presently under prosecution while four convictions have been secured.
The report stated that on the increased oversight of MDAs, the National Economic Council (NEC), under the Chairmanship of Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, approved the audit of key federal revenue generating agencies, with revealing results.
According to the result of the audit, a total sum of N526 billion and US$21 billion were underpaid to the Federation Account between 2010 and 2015.
The report indicated that the National Economic Council (NEC ) had now 23 approved the extension of that audit to cover the period until June 2017 while the government is also addressing the issue of poor levels of remittance of operating surpluses by MDAs.
For instance, the Presidency cited the case of JAMB, which remitted only N51 million between 2010 and 2016, and which, on the result of its audit, had to remit N7.8 billion last year, and would also remit a similar amount this year.