Okonjo-Iweala’s Book: Those Exposed Will Attack My Family Physically, Reputationally, Says Author

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

Nigeria’s two-time Minister of finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that because of the exposures contained in her about to be released book, herself and family will certainly be attacked as usual.

Through her Twitter handle, she said she was in a risky and dangerous dilemma of writing or not writing the book “Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines”.

According to Okonjo-Iweala, “It is risky because corrupt and vested interests described in the book may attempt to attack me and my family physically and reputationally as they have done before.

” But keeping quiet allows these same vested interests to muddy the waters and pretend to be reformers. Vested interests thrive in opaqueness and confusion.”

She insisted that Nigerians deserve transparency on the way governance, budget, and financial management processes work, adding that until these were understood and implemented, “nothing much will change” in Nigeria.

In her tweets, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said: “Dear Friends, my new book “Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines” is set to be released by the MIT press on April 12. Please click https://t.co/Tmh6xWJGUm to see Publishers’ description and the information on pre-ordering from Amazon or MIT Press.

“The book description notes that it is risky for me to write this book, but also dangerous not to write it. It is risky because corrupt and vested interests described in the book may attempt to attack me and my family physically and reputationally as they have done before.

“But keeping quiet allows these same vested interests to muddy the waters and pretend to be reformers. Vested interests thrive in opaqueness and confusion.

“Nigerians deserve transparency on the way governance, budget, and financial management processes work. Until they understand this and demand better nothing much will change.

“Development practitioners need insights into what it means to grapple with corruption from the frontlines. And our young people need hope. They need to know that if they have the courage to fight they can win.

“This book elucidates the challenges and opportunities, dangers and pitfalls, failures and successes in fighting corruption.

“Ultimately the book makes clear that if we have the courage of our convictions we can begin the journey of building institutions that are the necessary, if not sufficient, foundations to fight corruption.”