“I Served Tinubu Govt Without Pay, Rejected N5bn Fraudulent Offer” – Fela Durotoye

Leadership expert and former presidential candidate Fela Durotoye has disclosed how he turned down a fraudulent government deal worth N5 billion and served in the Tinubu administration without pay. Speaking at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria’s biannual conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Durotoye recounted a personal test of integrity involving a senior government official who attempted to lure him into a fraudulent contract.

According to Durotoye, the official, who claimed to be a pastor, approached him with a high-value training contract that involved training individuals across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. Believing in transparency, he and his team calculated a fair cost of N1.3 billion and submitted an invoice. However, he was soon contacted by the presidency and informed that his pricing was “too low.” He was offered an additional N700 million, bringing the total to N2 billion, and was then instructed to submit an inflated invoice for N5 billion.

Durotoye expressed shock at the request, particularly because the training was meant to promote ethical leadership. When he questioned the official about the inflated figure, he was told, “There is no sorrow in this one. You have been doing well for Nigeria. It is time for Nigeria to do well for you.” Unwilling to compromise his values, Durotoye said he simply turned off his phone and walked away from the deal. Months later, he learned that several presidency officials had been arrested for embezzling N426 million from an ethical leadership training fund.

Reflecting on the experience, Durotoye emphasized the importance of personal values in resisting corruption. He also revealed that during his tenure as Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, he refused all government benefits, including an official car, a house, and a salary. He claimed this decision caused delays in processing his resignation letter, as officials found it difficult to implicate him in corrupt dealings.

Despite these challenges, Durotoye said he met like-minded individuals in government who shared his vision for integrity. He concluded by reaffirming his belief that strong values are key to eradicating corruption in Nigeria.