Barely two months to the
inauguration of a new government, corrupt officials who wield enormous power
under the out-going Goodluck Jonathan administration, have started fleeing out
of the country.
The president-elect, Buhari has
declared that the fight against corruption will be a major drive of his
in-coming administration.
It was gathered that following her failure to get President Jonathan and ex-Head of state, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar secure a soft landing deal for her from Gen Buhari last weekend, controversial Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke has fled the country to the United Kingdom, from where she might escape to a safe haven.
Information reaching that Diezani who has a plethora of corruption allegations against her left the country through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday aboard a British Airways flight. A reliable source in the presidential villa told confided that “madam had to take off far ahead of the inauguration of the government of Gen Buhari because she is scared he may turn his searchlight on the oil sector.”
It was gathered that following her failure to get President Jonathan and ex-Head of state, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar secure a soft landing deal for her from Gen Buhari last weekend, controversial Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke has fled the country to the United Kingdom, from where she might escape to a safe haven.
Information reaching that Diezani who has a plethora of corruption allegations against her left the country through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday aboard a British Airways flight. A reliable source in the presidential villa told confided that “madam had to take off far ahead of the inauguration of the government of Gen Buhari because she is scared he may turn his searchlight on the oil sector.”
Ironically, the minister who is
widely known to travel around in private jets had to travel this time in the
first class cabin of the British Airways flight.
When contacted to confirm the Minister’s whereabout, one of her aides who pleaded for anonymity confirmed Mrs Allison-Madueke has indeed left the country on Monday morning but gave a different reason for the trip.
When contacted to confirm the Minister’s whereabout, one of her aides who pleaded for anonymity confirmed Mrs Allison-Madueke has indeed left the country on Monday morning but gave a different reason for the trip.
According to the minister’s aide “it is true
the Hon. Minister traveled but she went to take care of her health because she
has been down medically and she needs proper medical attention.”
On when the Minister will be back in the country, the aide said “no one can say when she will be back. That depends on her health and the advice of her doctors. She may come before May 29, she may decide to stay back with her children over there till anytime to take care of herself.”
Nigerians are waiting to see Mrs Allison-Madueke accounts for the $20 billion former CBN governor and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has continued to insist was diverted from the federation account by the Minister and her cronies in NNPC.
Apart from this, a group of whistleblowers against corruption has accused Diezani Alison-Madueke, of squandering millions of dollars of public funds to rent private jets for the conduct of her official activities. In a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the group, known as Crusader for Good Governance, demanded that Ms. Allison-Madueke be investigated for her habit of spending extravagant sums to rent private jets for her official hops.
Curiously, Vista Jet has a Nigerian businessman, Kola Aluko, on its board. Mr. Aluko, who once acted as Vista Jet’s West African representative, is known to be close to Ms. Alison-Madueke. “[Kola] Aluko and Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke are neck deep in the oil business,” said a source at the NNPC. “She helped him [Mr. Aluko] to land a choice allocation of pricey oil blocks through a company called Seven Energy,” added the source.
In a petition sent to the Nigerian Senate by the Delta Producing Communities, Ms. Alison-Madueke is accused of transferring the ownership of four oil mining licenses (OML), 30, 34, 26 and 42, to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept which belongs to Mr. Omokore.
The US-educated minister was long known for her interest in wealth and social climbing. During Nigeria’s last years of military dictatorship, she was linked to several military officers, including one-time Foreign Minister, General Ike Nwachukwu (retd.) and Rear Admiral Allison Amaechina Madueke (retd.), her current husband who was once Nigeria’s chief of naval staff.
On when the Minister will be back in the country, the aide said “no one can say when she will be back. That depends on her health and the advice of her doctors. She may come before May 29, she may decide to stay back with her children over there till anytime to take care of herself.”
Nigerians are waiting to see Mrs Allison-Madueke accounts for the $20 billion former CBN governor and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has continued to insist was diverted from the federation account by the Minister and her cronies in NNPC.
Apart from this, a group of whistleblowers against corruption has accused Diezani Alison-Madueke, of squandering millions of dollars of public funds to rent private jets for the conduct of her official activities. In a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the group, known as Crusader for Good Governance, demanded that Ms. Allison-Madueke be investigated for her habit of spending extravagant sums to rent private jets for her official hops.
Curiously, Vista Jet has a Nigerian businessman, Kola Aluko, on its board. Mr. Aluko, who once acted as Vista Jet’s West African representative, is known to be close to Ms. Alison-Madueke. “[Kola] Aluko and Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke are neck deep in the oil business,” said a source at the NNPC. “She helped him [Mr. Aluko] to land a choice allocation of pricey oil blocks through a company called Seven Energy,” added the source.
In a petition sent to the Nigerian Senate by the Delta Producing Communities, Ms. Alison-Madueke is accused of transferring the ownership of four oil mining licenses (OML), 30, 34, 26 and 42, to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept which belongs to Mr. Omokore.
The US-educated minister was long known for her interest in wealth and social climbing. During Nigeria’s last years of military dictatorship, she was linked to several military officers, including one-time Foreign Minister, General Ike Nwachukwu (retd.) and Rear Admiral Allison Amaechina Madueke (retd.), her current husband who was once Nigeria’s chief of naval staff.
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