Fela Durotoye, a Nigerian public speaker and former presidential candidate, has clarified his position within the administration of President Bola Tinubu, revealing that he served for six months without receiving a salary, allowance, or any government funds.
Durotoye, who was appointed as Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Values and Social Justice in October 2023, confirmed in a statement published on Monday that his tenure lasted until March 2024.
The clarification follows a social media controversy after a list of 13 media aides to President Tinubu went viral, erroneously listing Durotoye as one of the president’s media personnel.
Durotoye, addressing the situation, stated, “Like many other issues in the public discourse, social commentary often has the tendency to overgeneralize; and broad assumptions may sometimes lead to errors of misconceptions, misstatements and misinformation.”
He specifically referred to the viral list that mischaracterized his role, explaining that his involvement with the president’s media team was a misunderstanding.
“One of such errors is in a recent case study that went viral on social media regarding the current media team of the president, where my name was listed as one of the president’s media aides. Unfortunately, this statement needs to be updated to accurately reflect the current media team of the president.”
For further clarity, Durotoye explained that he served in the position of Senior Special Assistant on National Values and Social Justice (SSA-NVSJ) from October 2023 to March 2024, and under the terms of his appointment, he did not receive any form of compensation from the government.
READ ALSO: Ayedatiwa Wins Ondo Governorship Election 2024
“When I was invited to serve in this administration, I expressed, as a condition for accepting the call, my desire to NOT receive a salary from the government, as I considered this to be my service to my nation,” Durotoye said.
He emphasized that his role was purely voluntary, stating, “When I finally accepted the role in October 2023, it was on the condition that I would not receive any salary or allowances.
During my six-month tenure, I did not accept any government funds for my service, expenses, or upkeep.”
In a further breakdown of his personal contributions, Durotoye disclosed that he bore the costs associated with his relocation to Abuja and his upkeep.
“I rented my apartment and took my personal car to Abuja. My utility cost, fuel cost and upkeep were all borne by me and I never requested a reimbursement from the government for any expenses I incurred,” he explained.
“Everything I contributed—time, effort, and resources—was paid for by me and my family.”
This clarification comes after the viral list, which was shared widely on social media, included Durotoye’s name alongside other media aides appointed by President Tinubu.
Durotoye made it clear that his role was not part of the president’s media team, and he is no longer serving in that capacity.
“For clarity, I served briefly in the role of Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Values and Social Justice (SSA-NVSJ) for a tenure of six months, from October 2023 to March 2024,” he said.
In conclusion, Durotoye thanked his supporters and reassured the public that his service to the nation was driven by a sense of national duty, rather than any financial gain.
