Saint Levinus Nwabughiogu – Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday the widespread corruption in the country was likely the reason the impact of his fight against the scourge has not permeated in some quarters.

He said the menace was largely deep-rooted before he came to power in 2015.

The President, however, restated his commitment to eradicating corruption from Nigeria and urged all hands to be on deck in the fight.

He spoke at the launch of a book “One Step Ahead: Life of a Spy, Detective and Anti-Graft Czar” authored by a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, in Abuja.

President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said that significant progress had been recorded in the anti-graft war which had also attracted commendations from far and near.

• READ ALSO: Aisha Buhari, Patience Jonathan meet at Aso Rock

He said: “We must know that corruption is a major challenge of governance and development which we must all seek to eliminate from our system. Our administration commitment to eradicating it has been unwavering and we shall unrelentingly pursue its eradication.

“We have made significant progress in loot recovered, leakages blocked and the challenges it posed with arrest and prosecutions made. If the impact has been too apparent to some observers, it is because of the deep root corruption has taken and the extent of the spread before our advent.

“Nevertheless, we have received good reports and commendations from home and abroad on our success in fighting corruption. With our steady effort we have great hopes that corruption will be eliminated in our country.”

The President noted the remarkable career of the author in the police force and in the EFCC and commended her courage to document her experiences.

“Dr. Waziri has had a distinguished career as a police officer, spanning the whole gamut of being a spy and a detective culminating in her appointment of the chairman of the EFCC. Beyond this, she is a wife and a mother and an epitome career prospect for a hardworking woman. She has put her reflections on the trajectory of her life and career together in the book being presented today. I congratulate her and salute her courage,” the President added.

• Vanguard