I rejected FG’s 5bn fraudulent deal- Fela Durotoye

Renowned leadership coach and former presidential candidate, Fela Durotoye, has recounted how he rejected a fraudulent N5 billion government deal despite mounting pressure from an official who claimed to be a pastor.

Speaking at the ongoing biannual conference of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, Durotoye described the experience as a test of integrity and a reflection of the moral challenges in public service.

According to him, the offer came in the form of a lucrative training contract aimed at equipping people in all 774 local government areas of Nigeria within eight weeks. The government official assured him that he was the ideal candidate for the project.

After evaluating the requirements, Durotoye’s team arrived at a fair cost of N1.3 billion for the program. However, just three days later, he received a call from the official, informing him that he had secured the contract—but with a catch.

The official claimed that Durotoye’s quoted amount was too low and insisted on inflating the figure to N5 billion. To persuade him, the official increased the approved sum to N2 billion, offering an extra N700 million beyond his original quotation.

Sensing the ethical implications, Durotoye questioned the legitimacy of the arrangement, especially given that the program focused on ethical leadership. The official, however, dismissed his concerns, justifying the inflated budget as a form of reward for service to the country.

“He told me he had served Nigeria and deserved compensation. When I reminded him that true blessings come without sorrow, he replied, ‘There’s no sorrow in this one. You have done well for Nigeria; it’s time for Nigeria to do well for you,’” Durotoye recalled.

Faced with increasing pressure, he made the difficult decision to turn off his phone and walk away from the deal. Three months later, news broke that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arrested some presidency officials for embezzling N426 million from the ethical leadership training fund.

Reflecting on the experience, Durotoye emphasized the role of personal values in resisting corruption. “Only strong values can help you reject corrupt offers,” he stated.

He also revealed that during his tenure as Special Assistant to the President under the Tinubu administration, he declined an official car, house, and salary.

“It was difficult to process my resignation letter because, according to someone in government, refusing those benefits made it hard to link me to corruption,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Durotoye affirmed that there were still people of integrity in government. “When we uphold the right values, corruption will have no place in this nation,” he concluded.