Whatever happened to Diezani Alison-Madueke?

 Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

News went round last Tuesday that no fewer than six countries have already refused to grant an asylum request by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The news which emanated from a report contained in the Business Council for Africa, BCA current monthly report, however failed to mention the six countries.

The report said that about US$ 1 trillion is the latest estimated figure of the looting of the Nigerian treasury between 1960 and 2005 alone.

Dated March 2015, the report focused extensively on Nigeria’s general elections. The report said the flamboyant Nigerian Petroleum Minister, who has been levelled with several allegations of corrupt practices but who has enjoyed the cover of President Goodluck Jonathan, would soon be coming under the scrutiny for the first time in her ministerial career.

“Given her reputation, it comes as no surprise to learn that six countries have already refused to grant her asylum to live in their countries as she now wishes to leave Nigeria at the earliest possible opportunity,” the report said.

BCA also recalled President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, lamenting that the rest of the world looks at Nigeria as the home of corruption, especially one where stealing is not corruption but a way of life, and that his administration will pursue all public offices and individuals who are believed to be guilty of corruption.

It was observed that despite the assurance by Buhari that he would not probe the past governments, it is now believed that Buhari’s anti-corruption fishing net may include ministers currently serving under President Jonathan.

It was gathered that Alison-Madueke’s departure from Nigeria is likely to be followed by several other former government officials, as Buhari’s anti-corruption drive will be far-reaching.

BCA described the March/April 2015 polls as “the most credible elections in Nigeria’s history”, but said they could not be called the most incorruptible.

The report also said the elections are the worst because of the amount of money that the PDP and President Jonathan allegedly so freely and openly spent on trying to secure his re-election.

“The stories and reports from throughout the 36 states of the amount of money distributed by the PDP to rulers, church leaders, unions and youth leaders among others in an endeavour to favour the voters towards the PDP has backfired badly,” the report said.

BCA further said that if the 2011 elections were considered bad, the 2015 elections will undoubtedly go down as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history.

However, Alison-Madueke has debunked the insinuations that she is trying to seek asylum.

She said she was not seeking asylum in any part of the world, as claimed by her traducers. Madueke, who spoke through the Group Public Affairs General Manager of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,  Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said  she is never contemplating relocating from Nigeria.

Alegbe said the minister only went for a short vacation outside Nigeria and that she would soon return to her job.

He said the claim that the woman had been denied asylum by six countries was not only a fabrication aimed at confusing some gullible persons, but deliberately targeted at smearing the minister and her office.

Alegbe said: “I want to say that the minister of petroleum has never contemplated going on asylum in any part of the world and has never applied for any. The minister has only gone for a short vacation abroad and will soon return to Nigeria, having no reason to leave her job and country for any other place.”

Diezani K. Alison-Madueke,  born on December 6, 1960, is the first female president of OPEC. She was elected at the 166th OPEC Ordinary meeting in Vienna on November 27, 2014. She was appointed Nigeria’s minister of Transportation onJuly 26, 2007. She was moved to Mines and Steel Development in 2008 and in April 2010, she was made Minister of Petroleum Resources.

Alison-Madueke has held three significant positions in the federal government. She was appointed Transport Minister in July 2007. On December 23, 2008, she was named as Minister of Mines and Steel Development. After Vice-President  Jonathan became acting President in February 2010, he dissolved the cabinet on  March 17, 2010, and swore in a new cabinet on April 6, 2010 with Alison-Madueke as Minister of Petroleum Resources.

One of the most controversial policies introduced under Alison-Madueke is the government’s plan to remove state subsidies on fuel prices. She had supported the discontinuation of the subsidy on the grounds that it “poses a huge financial burden on the government, disproportionately benefits the wealthy, [and] encourages inefficiency, corruption and diversion of scarce public resources away from investment in critical infrastructure.”

In June 2008 Alison-Madueke was the subject of a Senate probe after it emerged that as Transport minister she had paid N30.9 billion ($263 million) to contractors between December 26 and 31, 2007.

However, she has never been charged or tried for these allegations and has strongly denied any wrongdoing. She was alleged to have spent billions of dollars inappropriately on private jets whilst many Nigerians suffered. She is also alleged to be intimately close to President Jonathan and is responsible for a missing $20 billion. She is also widely accused of reckless spending of government funds. In September 2008, there was an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap Alison-Madueke at her house in Abuja with her son Chimezie Madueke.

In October 2009, the Senate indicted Alison-Madueke and recommended her prosecution for the alleged transfer of N1.2 billion into the private account of a toll company without due process and in breach of concession agreement.  However, the allegations have never been taken to law, and the minister has maintained her innocence.