Professor Pat Utomi, a respected economist and public affairs expert in Nigeria, has shared that he once said no to a ministerial job. The offer came from the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Utomi explained that he turned it down because he wanted to keep his independence and continue speaking openly about national issues.
Utomi has always been outspoken about how the Nigerian government runs. Recently, he even created a “shadow government” to check President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He revealed that President Yar’Adua personally spent two hours trying to persuade him to join his cabinet. Despite this effort, Utomi chose to stay outside the government so he could better push for good governance.
He said, “I was asked to be a minister before, and I turned it down. President Yar’Adua really tried to get me to say yes.” Although Utomi holds a degree in political science and understands the importance of public service, he was worried that joining the system might silence his voice. He believes many outspoken people in Africa are brought into government only to be controlled or made quiet.
According to Utomi, President Yar’Adua respected his opinions and thought he could help more from inside the government. During their meeting at the presidential villa on a Friday, Utomi told the president, “I’m a true patriot. You can call me anytime, even at 2 a.m., and I’ll share my honest views.” Instead of joining the cabinet, he advised the president to pick seven good people for the job.
The president agreed and asked Utomi to help find those seven people. Utomi went back to Lagos, made a list of names, and gave it to Steve Oronsaye, a top government official. But after that, he never heard anything back.
Sadly, not long after, President Yar’Adua fell ill and died in May 2010. Later, Utomi found out that the president might never have received the list. Someone close to the presidency told him that Yar’Adua may have believed Utomi ignored his offer in his final days. Utomi firmly denied this, saying, “I didn’t snub him. I heard from someone senior that he probably never got the envelope and thought I ignored him, but that’s not true.”
