ABDULRASHEED BAWA – MY MAN

Have EFCC arrested you before? They have arrested me o. It is something I recommend to every man. It should be a rite of passage. It was Friday o. They burst into my office in a multi-ethnic team. Federal character fully represented. “Are you Edgar,” they asked? I should have said, “No o.’” I stupidly said yes. They say, “You are under arrest. We are taking you to our office.” I die. I want to jump out of the window and run to Akwa Ibom. They arrested me in Shomolu. When we got to their office, they were very nice.

It was a transaction gone bad. As an investment banker, this dey always happen. It is a normal thing you always have near-misses, but this was my first time inside the matter. By the time the interrogation was over, it was too late to go home, so I enter cell. I enjoyed my stay inside the place o. I read newspapers, and the people know me as a major writer and we discuss Nigeria. On Monday, them come carry me comot. Them treat me well o, and the matter was resolved, and we became friends. To date, the agent wey arrest me na my friend. Sadly, that is not the case with most of the institution’s cases, and I see this appointment if it scales through as a breath of fresh breeze.

Mr. Bawa, I hear, is 40, a member of the academy’s first set and as such an integral part of the structure. He must learn from the mistakes of his predecessors who came in with all shades and character. He must learn how to allow the institution to be the overriding factor, allowing due process and rules of engagement take charge. But more important, he must win the confidence of the public.

A case where someone would rather jump to his grave instead of getting arrested by them is sad. I want to put my weight behind Mr. Bawa despite the noises I am hearing believing that he would rebuild the institution and refocus it. A virile and robust EFCC working with a strong and virile judiciary will put any government in a stronger position to deliver on its mandate. Well done, bro. I wish you well. Next time, the EFCC Alumni Detainee Forum should be consulted in choosing the chief executive. I am just saying, oh.