•Adetokunbo Olufela Durotoye
A former Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, on National Values and Social Justice, Adetokunbo Olufela Durotoye, has narrated his experience with corruption during his time in government.
The renowned leadership coach and former presidential candidate of the defunct Alliance for New Nigeria, detailed how he was pressurised by an official, who said he was a pastor, to siphon N5 billion from the government coffers, reports Daily Trust.
He spoke at the ongoing biannual conference of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Abuja.
Durotoye, who described the experience as a test of integrity, said he was approached to conduct a training programme for people across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria that would last for eight weeks.
As a business consultant and leadership expert, Durotoye said he was guaranteed for the job and upon request, asked to prepare an invoice, ensuring the cost was strictly based on actual expenses.
He said his team has calculated a fair price of N1.3 billion for the training but got a shocker three days later from the presidency.
He continued: “But just three days later, a call from the presidency congratulating me that I had secured the job changed everything.
They said the amount I was asking for was too small and promised to add N700m to make it N2bn. Then they asked me to submit an invoice for N5bn”.
The motivational speaker said when he questioned the rationale for inflating the price, especially for a training centred on ethical leadership, the official dismissed his concerns.
He said the man assured him he wasn’t ripping off Nigeria because 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.
He added that when the official continued to mount pressure, he made a bold decision to switch off his phone.
He however noted that 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.
Reflecting on the ordeal, he emphasised the importance of strong moral values and warned that “Only your values can help you turn down corrupt tendencies”.
Recalling his time serving under the Tinubu administration, the business expert said.
“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 said 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 stated.
