Renowned leadership coach and former presidential candidate, Fela Durotoye, has revealed how he resisted an opportunity to siphon N5 billion in a fraudulent government deal, despite immense pressure from an official who identified as a pastor.
Speaking at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria’s (PFN) biannual conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Durotoye described the experience as a test of integrity, according to a report by Church Times Nigeria.
The Fraudulent Offer
According to Durotoye, the official approached him with a lucrative government training contract, insisting that he had already been selected for the job. The programme involved training people in all 774 local government areas of Nigeria within eight weeks.
Upon request, Durotoye prepared an invoice for N1.3 billion, ensuring the cost strictly covered actual expenses. However, just three days later, a call from the presidency took an unexpected turn.
“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,” Durotoye recalled.
Pressure to Participate in Fraud
Alarmed by the request, Durotoye questioned the ethics of inflating the contract amount, especially for a training programme focused on ethical leadership. However, the official dismissed his concerns, claiming that he had served the country and deserved compensation.
“The man assured me he wasn’t ripping off Nigeria. He said, ‘You have been doing well for Nigeria. It is time for Nigeria to do well for you.’”
As the pressure mounted, Durotoye made a decisive move—he switched off his phone to cut off communication with the officials pushing for the fraudulent deal.
EFCC Arrests Officials Linked to Training Fund Scandal
Three months after rejecting the deal, news broke that some presidency 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 ordeal, Durotoye emphasized the importance of strong moral values.
“Only your values can help you turn down corrupt tendencies,” he warned.
Service Under Tinubu Administration
Durotoye also spoke about his time serving under the Tinubu administration as Special Assistant to the President. He revealed that he deliberately refused to accept an official car, a house, or a salary.
“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 said he encountered like-minded individuals in government who shared his commitment to integrity.
Call for Ethical Leadership
Durotoye concluded by urging Nigerians to embrace the right values in leadership and governance.
“When we have the right values, there won’t be corruption in this land,” he said.
