The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has stated that there is a 5% reward for whistleblowers who provide credible information leading to the prosecution of offenders.
This was mentioned by Dele Oyewale, spokesman of the EFCC, when he appeared as a guest on the EFCC 97.3FM Abuja talk show on Monday.
Oyewale said the reward was a statutory provision and emphasised the commission’s commitment to enforcing the law and protecting the economy from the negative impacts of naira abuse.
He said: “There’s a reward if you report anyone spraying the Naira. That is whistleblowing. The whistleblowing act offers 5% reward of whatever amount that is involved to whoever offers credible information that can stand the rigour of prosecution and not derived from malice and mischief.”
He went on to say that since the task force on naira misuse and dollarisation was formed, the EFCC had achieved nearly 50 convictions throughout the country.
The EFCC official underlined that rejecting the naira as legal tender was a criminal act, and anybody found guilty would face the full force of the law.
Oyewale continued: “It is a crime to reject the naira. If there’s nothing wrong with the naira, maybe it’s dirty and not mint, and you reject it; it is a crime.
“The naira is the symbol of our economy. We are a sovereign nation, with our own territorial integrity, so, whatever is within the ambit of our economy and every transaction in Nigeria must be done in naira.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo had said that the country’s whistleblower policy must be expanded to protect those, who expose corruption, gross mismanagement as well as acts inimical to public health and safety from backlash and reprisals.
Osinbajo made the call while delivering a virtual keynote address at the National Conference on Whistleblower Policy in Abuja in 2020.
He said, “It is clear that under the current whistle-blower policy, it is only with respect to acts of corruption that whistle-blowing is considered lawful.
“However, there is a whole range of issues that may not endanger public finance directly but may constitute public safety or security risks. Reporting such may save lives and or property.”