Former presidential candidate and leadership expert, Fela Durotoye, has disclosed how he turned down a fraudulent deal worth N5 billion despite mounting pressure from a government official......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Speaking at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria’s (PFN) biannual conference in Abuja on Tuesday, February 11, Durotoye described the experience as a critical test of his values and integrity.
Durotoye recounted how he was approached by a top government official—who identified as a pastor—with an offer to handle a nationwide leadership training program.
The training was to cover all 774 local government areas within eight weeks, and he was assured that he had already been selected for the contract.
After evaluating the project requirements, Durotoye and his team determined that the fair cost of execution would be N1.3 billion.
However, just days later, he received a call that raised serious concerns.
“I got a call congratulating me that I had secured the job. But they said the amount I was asking for was too small. They promised to add N700m to make it N2bn. Then they asked me to submit an invoice for N5bn,” he revealed.
Durotoye: ‘It Is Time for Nigeria to Do Well for You’
Durotoye questioned the ethics behind inflating the contract amount, especially given that the program focused on ethical leadership.
The official, however, dismissed his concerns, justifying the fraudulent arrangement.
“The man assured me he wasn’t ripping off Nigeria. He said he had served the country and deserved compensation. When I reminded him that the blessings of God make one rich and add no sorrow, he fired back, saying, ‘There is no sorrow in this one. You have been doing well for Nigeria. It is time for Nigeria to do well for you,’” Durotoye recalled.
Realizing that he was being pressured into an act of corruption, Durotoye took a decisive step—he switched off his phone.
EFCC’s crackdown confirms His fears
Three months later, news broke that officials within the presidency had been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for misappropriating N426 million meant for an ethical leadership training fund.
Durotoye saw this as validation that his refusal to participate had been the right decision.
“Only your values can help you turn down corrupt tendencies,” he emphasized.
Durotoye also opened up about his time serving in the Tinubu administration as a Special Assistant to the President.
He made it clear that he refused to take any government benefits.
“I did not collect an official car, I did not collect a house, and I did not collect a salary for serving. It was difficult to get my letter out because, according to somebody in government, my refusal to collect those things would make it difficult to pin me to corruption,” he explained.
Despite the challenges, he stated that he encountered other principled individuals in government and remained hopeful that Nigeria could overcome corruption.