Why I wrote anti-graft book, by Farida Waziri

Ahead of the public presentation, in Abuja, on February 11, 2020, of her book, One Step Ahead-Life As A Spy, Detective And Anti-Graft Czar, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, has shed light on why she wrote it.

According to the author, “through this book, I am rendering my account by presenting my mosaic experience – as Special Branch operative, as pioneer head of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), as a detective at CID, as commissioner of police, as former chair of EFCC, as wife of Nigeria’s ambassador to Turkey, and as a lawyer that sat through one of the stormy moments of this country and witnessed first-hand behind-the-scene happenings that form part of Nigeria’s development history.”

She said, “myths and mythologies about Nigeria’s endemic corruption are due to the chameleonic forms of the scourge. I had the privilege to dissect the problem from the vantage position of being at the helm of SFU and EFCC and I have simplified the anatomy of fraud and public office corruption in Nigeria.

“The trove of facts in the book belongs to the public. I have simply held them in trust for so long. I have no right to covet them. And having held them for so long, I have decided it is time to declassify them by putting them into a book form. This is the main motivation for the memoir.”

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is the special guest of honour; while former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, is the chairman of the event. The former First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, is listed as mother of the day, while state governors, ministers, top security chiefs, captains of industries and other distinguished Nigerians are guests of honour.

Royal fathers of the day are the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris; Emir of Gombe, Dr Abubakar Shehu Abubakar; Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk; Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse and Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, among others.

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Kukah, the guest speaker, will deliver a lecture on the topic: ‘Is corruption a biological necessity or a political invention?’

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, is the book reviewer, while the Chairman of Caverton Group, Mr Remi Makanjuola, is the chief presenter.