Fela Durotoye: How I rejected N5bn inflated FG contract for leadership training

Fela Durotoye, a former aide to President Bola Tinubu, has narrated how he declined a “fraudulent” N5 billion federal government contract meant for the leadership training of youths in the 774 LGAs in the country.

Durotoye spoke in Abuja on Monday during the colloquium organised by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

The colloquium, titled ‘The rebirth of our great nation’, was part of the activities to launch the ongoing PFN bi-annual conference, scheduled for February 11 to 14.

The renowned public speaker said he received a phone call from a government official about a contract for ethical leadership training in 774 LGAs.

The leadership coach said he was asked to send an invoice on what his organisation would charge for the training.

Durotoye added that he and his team submitted a N1.3 billion bid for the training without including the management fee.

“Three days later, I got a call that ‘congratulations, Fela, you have been given the task’.

“He said, but when we look at the costing, we said it is not possible that this costing could have been this and that most likely that you did not put anything for yourself.

“So, we decided to put something for you. For you, we want to put N700 million on top of this, so you will get N2 billion, but you will send us an invoice of N5 billion.

“We need that invoice in the next three days before they close the account for the year.

“I had to turn off my phone for three days because at some point he was calling me every 30 minutes.”

Durotoye said in the subsequent year, he saw a newspaper report that four persons in the presidency were arrested for stealing N425 million for ethical leadership training.

He added that the contract issue did not arise during Tinubu’s administration or the previous one, but several years ago.

Durotoye noted that there is a need for individuals to have values, which will serve as their guiding principle.

In October 2023, Tinubu appointed Durotoye as senior special assistant on national values and social justice. But he only served in the cabinet for six months.