Former All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Timi Frank has condemned the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman Gilbert Chagoury.
According to a report on Tuesday, Frank warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the honour sends a dangerous message, suggesting that corruption and conflicts of interest are being legitimised at the highest levels of government.
Responding, Frank said the award, Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, erodes public confidence and weakens the country’s anti-corruption stance, particularly in light of widely reported allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases connected to funds looted during the regime of late General Sani Abacha.
“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said, recalling reports that a Swiss court convicted Chagoury in 2000 over the laundering of 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 honors on a person publicly tainted by allegations and judicial findings of corruption sends a deeply troubling message about our national values,” he added.
“Nigeria should not become a theater where corruption is rewarded, conflicts of interest are ignored, and foreign influence is leveraged against national and allied economic interests,” he warned, noting that the issue carries serious international governance implications.
He also questioned the basis for awarding the GCON to Chagoury, urging Nigerians to seek transparency regarding his contributions to national development.
“What hospitals, schools, or scholarships has he built or funded to merit this honor?” 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 honored,” he stated.