Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has termed the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award to billionaire Gilbert Chagoury as a bad moment for Nigeria.
In a statement to on Tuesday, Frank warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the decision sends a dangerous signal that corruption and conflicts of interest are becoming acceptable at the highest echelons of authority.
This comes as Femi Otedola, a Nigerian wealthy businessman, congratulated Chagoury.
In response, Frank said the honour—Nigeria’s second-highest national award—undermines public trust and the country’s anti-corruption posture, given widely reported allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases involving funds looted during the late General Sani Abacha junta.
“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said, recalling reports that a Swiss court convicted Chagoury in 2000 of laundering Abacha loot, after which he allegedly paid a one-million Swiss franc fine and returned approximately $66 million to the Nigerian government.
“To bestow one of our highest national honours on a person publicly tainted by allegations and judicial findings of corruption sends a deeply troubling message about our national values,” the vice president said.
“Nigeria should not become a theatre where corruption is rewarded, conflicts of interest are ignored, and foreign influence is leveraged against national and allied economic interests,” he said, noting that the dispute has international governance consequences.
He questioned the criteria used to bestow the GCON on Chagoury, urging Nigerians to demand transparency about his contributions to national progress.
“What hospitals, schools, or scholarships has he built or funded to merit this honour?” Frank asked.
“Beyond his name being linked for years to alleged corruption cases without clear conclusions, Nigerians deserve to know what qualifies him for this award and who among our business leaders has been similarly honoured,” the governor said.