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Ikoyi Billions: Address Nigerians Now, SERAP Tells Buhari

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An human rights advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to speak on the recovered N13bn in order to clear the controversy surrounding the ownership of the funds.

The group, in a statement on Sunday by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said heaven would not fall if the government unveiled the real owner of the recovered funds.

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It argued that government could not afford to keep the citizen speculating on the real owner of the funds, stressing that the new whistle-blower’s policy must be matched with transparency.

“Democracy abhors secrecy, and for Nigerians to be able to hold elected leaders accountable, they must have access to information such as on the real identities of those behind the Ikoyi cash haul.

“This transparency is fundamental to the operation of the government’s whistle-blower policy, and inextricably rooted in the notions of good governance and the rule of law under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended),” SERAP stated.

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It argued that keeping the nation in the dark on an issue such as the ownership of the Ikoyi funds was counter-productive to the government’s anti-corruption fight.

SERAP stated that this would encourage lack of accountability and would give the impression that there was something the government was hiding from the masses.

It added, “Public scrutiny is a prerequisite for changing harmful, entrenched practices. Rather than operating the whistle-blowers policy as hidden, mysterious mechanism at the far edge of democracy, this government should make the operation of policy more transparent and accessible to the public.

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“It’s clear that as the EFCC continues to uncover more suspected looted or ill-gotten cash, those blowing the whistle will need greater level of protection. But without outlawing retaliation and attacks against whistle-blowers, and taking a firm stance on protecting them, the incentive of bounty rewards would be negated, as potential whistle-blowers may be discouraged from performing invaluable public interest service.”