Renowned leadership coach and former presidential candidate of the defunct Alliance for New Nigeria, Fela Durotoye, has shared how he rejected an opportunity to siphon ₦5 billion in a fraudulent government deal, despite immense pressure from an official who claimed to be a pastor.
Speaking on Tuesday at the ongoing biannual conference of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Abuja, Durotoye recounted the experience, describing it as a crucial test of integrity.
According to a Church Times Nigeria report on Wednesday, he revealed that an official approached him with a lucrative training contract, assuring him that he had already been selected for the job.
The programme involved training people across all 774 local government areas of Nigeria within eight weeks, and Durotoye was told he fit the criteria perfectly.
Upon request, he prepared an invoice, ensuring that costs were strictly based on actual expenses. His team calculated a fair price of ₦1.3 billion for the training.
However, three days later, a call from the presidency changed everything.
“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 ₦700m to make it ₦2bn. Then they asked me to submit an invoice for ₦5bn,” Durotoye recalled.
Refusing Corruption
Alarmed, he questioned the ethics of inflating the price, especially for a training centred on ethical leadership. The official dismissed his concerns.
“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 narrated.
As pressure mounted, he made a bold decision to switch off his phone.
Three months later, news broke that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arrested some presidency officials for stealing N426m from an ethical leadership training fund.
Emphasizing Values In Governance
Reflecting on the ordeal, Durotoye stressed the importance of strong moral values.
“Only your values can help you turn down corrupt tendencies,” he warned.
Durotoye also spoke about his tenure serving under the Tinubu administration as Special Assistant to the President.
“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 stated.
Despite the challenges, he revealed that he encountered like-minded individuals in government who shared his commitment to integrity.
“When we have the right values, there won’t be corruption in this land,” he concluded.
