GCON for Chagoury mocks anti-graft war, says Timi Frank

 

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has condemned the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman Gilbert Chagoury, describing the honour as an affront to Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.

Frank, in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to bestow the nation’s second-highest award on Chagoury signalled that allegations of corruption and conflict of interest were being legitimised at the highest level of government.

His reaction followed a congratulatory message posted by billionaire businessman Femi Otedola celebrating Chagoury’s national honour.

According to Frank, the award undermines public confidence, citing long-standing allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases connected with funds looted during the regime of late military ruler, General Sani Abacha.

“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said, recalling reports that a Swiss court in 2000 convicted Chagoury over laundering of Abacha loot, after which he allegedly paid a fine of one million Swiss francs and refunded about $66 million to the Nigerian government.

He added: “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.

“Nigeria should not become a theatre where corruption is rewarded, conflicts of interest are ignored, and foreign influence is leveraged against national and economic interests.”

Frank further questioned the criteria used in selecting Chagoury for the GCON, urging Nigerians to demand transparency on the businessman’s contributions to national development.

“What hospitals, schools or scholarships has he built 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,” he said.

The activist maintained that the controversy had implications for Nigeria’s international image and governance credibility, warning that the development could weaken the country’s moral authority in the global fight against corruption.