Pulse Opinion: The 'mad' whistleblower story is really embarrassing for FG

The whistleblower who took EFCC to Ikoyi cash apartment was declared mad. Something isn't adding up.

Remember the unnamed young man who led the EFCC to that house of cash in Ikoyi, Lagos, last April?

Well, last week, the man’s lawyer said his client hasn’t been paid a dime for his patriotic whistleblowing act.

Actually, like every whistleblower in the land, the Ikoyi whistleblower was entitled to five percent of the total amount of N13B recovered from Flat 7B, Osbourne Towers, on the day.

The implication is that by the current exchange rate of N305/$, the whistle-blower whose expose led authorities to the Ikoyi billions is entitled to N657.55M.

For so it was written.

But the whistleblower’s lawyer, a gentleman called Yakubu Galadima, told the local press that his client has been declared ‘insane’ by law enforcement just to deprive him of his entitlement.

 

“Because the guy had always been looking forward to see(ing) this money and it wasn’t forthcoming, he started shouting. When he started shouting, they said he’s mad, that he’s having a mental problem.

“The DSS people called me and said I should come and carry my luggage. They brought him to the EFCC and abandoned him there. The EFCC people called me that I should come and carry my client.”

The whistleblower was thereafter bundled to the Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, for his troubles.

All of last weekend, everyone raged and ranted on social media about the whistleblower who had been dealt an unfair hand by the government, even after he was privately congratulated for his heroic act by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

I had a hard time doing the first story of this saga for Pulse. But then again, I wasn’t shocked. This is after all the government we are talking about here.

 

On Sunday, November 12, 2017, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun—whose office is responsible for paying up whistleblowers—tweeted that the Ikoyi whistleblower will get his due by month’s end.

“Let me make it clear that the federal government will not withhold any funds due to any whistleblower. The Whistleblower Policy has detailed procedures for processing payments. The procedures were designed to prevent abuse and legal disputes and to ensure protection of the information providers.

“Whistleblower payments are made in monthly batches. To date, over 20 of such persons have been paid. From available records, the payment due on the Ikoyi apartment recovery is among those being processed in the November batch, which will be released within the current month”, Adeosun said.

Why did it take the whistleblower running to the press before his plight could be addressed by those who promised to pay up? Why is the government always on the defensive?

The fact that the plight of the whistleblower degenerated to the level where he had to start screaming like a looney, is tragic.

 

When the government goes back on its word and continues to treat folks who help out as sh**, the citizenry revolts by regarding government as the enemy that shouldn't be trusted.

Adeosun’s ministry should ensure that the Ikoyi whistleblower and all other whistleblowers who are putting their lives on the line for a percentage, are rewarded to the last kobo.

It would also help if the government investigates law enforcement officers who tagged the whistleblower a raving lunatic just to deprive him of his money.

ALSO READ: Whistle-blower says EFCC lied, hasn’t received a dime

If the government wants its whistleblower policy to become a success, it has to keep its word and honour agreements entered into with all ‘snitches’. It’s the very least it can do.

Honouring your end of the bargain shouldn't be so difficult a task to accomplish.

SOURCE - PULSE.NG posted by Campus94