Leadership coach and former presidential candidate, Fela Durotoye, has shared how he turned down a fraudulent N5 billion government deal despite pressure from a top official. He also revealed that he served under President Bola Tinubu’s administration without receiving any salary or benefits.
Durotoye made these revelations on Tuesday at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria’s biannual conference in Abuja. He described the experience as a test of his integrity and values.
He explained that a government official, who claimed to be a pastor, approached him with an offer to conduct leadership training across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. The official assured him that he had already been selected for the contract and asked him to submit an invoice.
Durotoye and his team carefully calculated the costs, arriving at a fair price of N1.3 billion. However, just days later, he received a surprising call from the presidency.
“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 N700 million to make it N2 billion. Then they asked me to submit an invoice for N5 billion,” he recalled.
Shocked by the suggestion, Durotoye questioned why the price had to be inflated, especially for a training program focused on ethical leadership. The official dismissed his concerns and tried to justify the move.
“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 said.
As the pressure increased, he decided to cut off contact by switching off his phone. Three months later, reports emerged that some officials had been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for stealing N426 million from an ethical leadership training fund.
Reflecting on the incident, Durotoye noted the importance of having strong moral values.
“Only your values can help you turn down corrupt tendencies,” he warned.
Durotoye also spoke about his role in the Tinubu administration, where he served as Special Assistant to the President. He revealed that he did not accept any official car, house, or salary while working in government.
“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 noted that he met other individuals in government who were also committed to integrity and ethical leadership.
“When we have the right values, there won’t be corruption in this land,” he concluded.
