The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership CACOL has requested for an independent investigation into the allegation of willful defamation against the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele by the whistle-blower, George Uboh over the accused petition of #232bn fraud against the Governor of the CBN.
In a release issued by the Media and Publications Officer, Toyin Odofin on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the Centre Debo Adeniran, he stated, “Following the report that was published in Punch Newspapers earlier today, it was gathered that a whistle-blower named, George Uboh, was arraigned for defamation and image tarnishing against the CBN governor. We would recollect how an Online Newspapers, SAHARA REPORTERS reported a scoop involving Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, his Deputy Edward Lametek Adamu and the Director for Finance, Dayo M. Arowosegbe, including one of the Special Advisers to the CBN Governor, Emmanuel Ukeje who were allegedly caught on tape discussing how to cover up the loss of over N500billion stolen from the apex bank in a private investment that went bust.’
“Despite the call on the anti-graft agencies to investigate the matter thoroughly, there was no proof of whether or not the CBN governor was investigated over the alleged fraud, while the CBN Governor remained mute over such enormous allegation, the Online Newspapers that first broke the story, Sahara Reporters, has never refuted their claim till date. Our major concern over this, as an anti-corruption organization, is the consequences of such shoddy treatment of serious corruption allegations bordering on how the nation’s resources are handled. We remain adamant that people should not be afraid to report any factual corruptible act, hidden or apparent, as it will serve as a weapon to recovering missing funds.”
The CACOL boss added, “Howbeit, we would recollect that since this weapon of Whistleblower came as one of Muhammadu Buhari’s major plank of fighting corruption, over N200bn (Two Hundred billion Naira) looted funds have been recovered while many of the Whistleblowers were yet to be paid their entitlements of the recovered funds. In Nigeria, the range of settlement hovers between 2.5 per cent to 5 per cent while in many advanced economies, it is, most of the time, 10 per cent and the usual practice are to be paid as such efforts yield actual retrieval of looted public funds. This is because, aside from the prevention of grand frauds or corruption through technology, the other notable means of discouraging mindless looting of the commonwealth is through the instrumentality of Whistleblowing since corruption is usually perpetrated by 1 or more people. A good example of such procrastination in settling whistleblowers is the instance of the exposed secret $223m (Two Hundred and Twenty-Three Million Dollars) NNPC account where about $49m (Forty-Nine Million American Dollars) has been recovered while the Whistleblower remained unpaid his share of the same amount until now. This is why we enjoin the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to give more bite to the Whistleblower policy rather than allowing it to become disused while we urge Nigerians to always blow the whistle for the ogre of corruption to remain shamed and shunned in evolving a new Nigeria.”
