Pioneer Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, MallamNuhuRibadu has said that the recently published book of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, MallamNasir el-Rufai, The Accidental Public Servant contained a large integrity deficiency.
In an interview with an Abuja-based newspaper, Blueprint, Ribadu explained that el-Rufai wasnever a member of staff of the EFCC and knew nothing about its operations and as such, was wrong to have written about the commission in his book.
Though Ribadu admitted he is yet to read the book, he stated that el-Rufai neither told him he was writing a book neither did he interview him about what he wanted to write.
He said, “So, I am quite surprised on how you can quote a person that you have not interviewed. I think the ethics of writing is that you quote somebody with authority and that you can stand by that.
“I have not fully read the book but I have seen a couple of things coming out of it including the excerpts from the media. The most important thing I will say about it is that Nasiru did not tell me he was writing the book, not to talk of showing me the script. Nasiru never interviewed me for his book.
“There is a huge integrity deficiency bordering on ethics if you can quote somebody without first having to record him and you have proof of that. He didn’t consult me, he didn’t give me anything to look at and therefore just like you and all Nigerians, I was quite surprised to see him quoting me directly in the book.”
He went to add that since el-Rufai was never a staff of the EFCC, he wondered how he could report about the work of the commission.
“It is the same way I will not talk of the FCT when he was minister. He didn’t know of the works of the EFCC and he couldn’t have known. He was not privy to all the things that we were doing there.
“He did not also show me what he was writing because, as I said earlier, even if you discussed something with someone before, when you are putting it into a book, it is only proper for you to validate it and crosscheck with him. Even if he agrees or disagrees, at least it makes sense. This is especially when the person is close to you because that would be an opportunity for the person to correct you.”