Hours after he was widely reported to have slumped while giving a speech at an event at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Thursday, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, appeared on Channels Television, saying all was well with him.
Bawa narrated what happened to him during the event organised by the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, while fielding questions from Seun Okinbaloye, anchor of the station’s flagship politics programme, Politics Today.
He spoke from his residence in Abuja.
“I am ok,” he said. “You can see that I am very much ok. Being the 16th of September, today is the National Identity Day and I was invited for a programme by NIMC, or specifically by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. And while giving my goodwill message during the progamme, there was a bit of dizziness on me, and I had to excuse myself from the stage.
“Of course, I went straight to the hospital where the doctors confirmed to me that everything about me is ok, except for the fact that I am a bit dehydrated, and I need to take a lot of water.”
The EFCC chairman further told Channels Television that he went straightaway from the hospital to his office to tidy up some things after which he headed home.
He expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and good wishes, which, he said, had inspired him to continue his job with more vigour.
Narrating the experience to his interviewer, Bawa said while delivering his speech titled, Importance of Digital Identification, he suddenly became emotional and his spirit became dampened by the death of a staff member of the commission.
This prompted him to stop the speech abruptly, staggered back to his seat and sank into it.
He was rushed out of the hall, accompanied by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, who later informed the audience that Mr. Bawa was stable. And the event continued.
In a statement he issued on the incident, the EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, also reiterated that his boss was stable and in fine shape.
“The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa is hale and hearty,” he said.
“This clarification became necessary following an incident today, September 16, 2021, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he was giving a goodwill message to the National Identity Day celebration, felt unwell and had to return to his seat.
“He has since received medical attention and is due back at his desk.”