By Zik Gbemre
With recent reports that the Federal Government’s Whistleblower policy has so far led to the recovery of $151 million and N8billion in looted funds, we consider it necessary to reiterate once again that no matter the volume of recovered funds and the successes recorded by this administration in its efforts/fight against corruption in the country, it will all be meaningless and amount to nothing concrete if the identities of those who looted this nation’s collective wealth to bleeding point, are not exposed made known to the public. The anti-graft war will never be considered complete and wholly successful if those who looted the nation’s funds are not named.
While we completely agree with the government that it would not disclose the identities of the Whistleblowers (for their safety and security), or make public when they would receive the 2.5 to 5 per cent reward promised, as stipulated in the Whistleblower policy aimed at encouraging anyone with information about a violation, misconduct or improper activity that impacts negatively on Nigerians and government, however, the identities of those who looted these recovered funds should no longer remain a secret.
Agreed that if the Whistleblowing policy is well managed, it will boost the fight against corruption so that the nation’s resources can be used to develop the country rather than allowing corrupt political leaders and elites to siphon them for use only by their families and cronies, however it is expedient for the Federal Government to, as a matter of great importance, publish details of the names of all these looters of our national collective-wealth, stating who and who were involved and how much exactly the anti-graft agencies have recovered from each person.
Without that, Nigerians and the international community cannot say that this present government is ‘transparent’ in its anti-graft fight if the names of those who looted the recovered funds are not published for all to see. A ‘transparent’ Government should able to tell Nigerians the amount recovered so far and those the monies were recovered from as well. Anything short of this cannot be said to represent a transparent and accountable Government.
These public funds looters/thieves are best described as wicked and mindless, for having stolen the collective wealth meant for the development of their people and as such, have created abject poverty in the country, which has led to the increase in the poverty in the land and violent crimes across the country. These public thieves deserve to be shamed for escalating poverty in the country that has spread like wild fire. These public funds looters/thieves should be treated like armed robbers and kidnappers or like every other violent criminal. They have caused a lot of poverty and hardship in the land which has pushed many of our younger generations into all kinds of criminal activities. They deserve no mercy or soft landing for the crimes they have committed!
The Presidency should be brave enough to publish the names of these looters in accordance to how much was recovered from each individual. With this, the President Buhari Government will become more credible in the eyes of the Nigerian public. The Federal Government should realize that Nigerians want to know the details and the names of these exposed LOOTERS Identities. We cannot be talking of fighting corruption without knowing the looters identity and how much each of them stole so that Nigerians will not give them another opportunity to serve in any public office.
The anti-corruption fight only works and thrives on ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’. Once this is not seen to be there, then the whole anti-corruption war is pointless.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
