Timi Frank Reacts as Tinubu Confers GCON to Businessman Gilbert Chagoury: "Dark Moment in Nigeria"
- Timi Frank described the conferment of GCON on Gilbert Chagoury as a dark moment for Nigeria
- Frank warned that the award normalised corruption and conflicts of interest at the highest levels of power
- Frank criticised the award, citing Chagoury’s past money-laundering allegations and questioned his contributions to national development
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Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has described the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman Gilbert Chagoury as a dark moment for Nigeria.
Frank also warned that it sends a dangerous signal that corruption and conflicts of interest are being normalised at the highest levels of power.
Source: Twitter
Frank questions national values and anti-corruption posture
In a strongly worded statement cited by Legit.ng on Tuesday, January 20, Frank argued that Nigeria’s second-highest national award undermines public trust and the country’s anti-corruption stance, citing widely reported allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases connected to funds looted during the late General Sani Abacha regime.
“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said.
He further recalled reports that a Swiss court convicted Chagoury in 2000 in connection with laundering Abacha loot, after which he allegedly paid a fine of one million Swiss francs and returned about $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,” he added.
Concerns over conflicts of interest
Frank also raised concerns about alleged conflicts of interest, highlighting reports that Chagoury is a business associate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and linked to the controversial Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, reportedly awarded without competitive bidding to Hitech Construction Company, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group.
“A sitting President should not be in business dealings – directly or indirectly – with close associates while holding office,” Frank said.
He added that the optics of the award and the project fuel public suspicion of abuse of power.
Institutional contradictions and international warnings
The former APC spokesman further referenced what he described as troubling institutional contradictions, noting that Nigeria’s current National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, once chaired the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) when Chagoury was investigated as one of Abacha’s key cronies.
Frank, who currently serves as United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East and as Senior Advisor to the Global Friendship City Association (GFCA), USA, claimed that Chagoury left Nigeria at the time, returning only after settling fines and returning funds.
He also cautioned the United States, particularly President Donald Trump and American policymakers, against being misled by lobbyists or vested interests.
“A President reputed for standing against corruption and poor governance should be cautious about associating, directly or indirectly, with a government that glorifies individuals with controversial corruption histories,” Frank said.
He warned that Chagoury’s alleged influence over major infrastructure and commercial decisions in Nigeria could undermine transparency, fair competition and national as well as allied economic interests.
“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.
Call for civic vigilance and accountability
Frank criticised what he described as a growing disconnect between government decisions and public sentiment, urging Nigerians to demand clarity on Chagoury’s contributions to national development.
“What hospitals, schools or scholarships has he built or funded to merit this honour? 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,” he asked.
He also urged opposition parties and citizens committed to justice and the rule of law to treat the episode as a wake-up call.
“A nation where individuals accused or convicted of corruption are protected, defended or even honoured is a nation drifting dangerously toward institutionalised impunity. It is one thing for the rule of law to be weakened; it is far worse for impunity to be openly rewarded,” Frank said.
Timi Frank issues warning to Tinubu
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Political activist, Comrade Timi Frank, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against breaching military tradition, hierarchy and professional standards.
Frank said the accelerated promotion of President Tinubu’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the rank of Brigadier-General, poses a grave danger to Nigeria’s democracy and national stability.
Source: Legit.ng
