I never stole Nigeria’s money –Diezani

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison
Madueke, has broken her long silence on several allegations of
financial impropriety levelled against her by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and said she never stole
Nigeria’s money.

Mrs. Madueke, in a statement issued yesterday, a copy of which
was made available to our reporter, said she decided to respond to
the allegations because the EFCC was taking advantage of her
silence to try and convict her in the media.

The EFCC had alleged that the former minister, by an order of a
Federal High Court has forfeited $153.3 million to the Federal
Government.

In her reaction, Mrs. Madueke denied ever owning such money and
said she was never notified of formal charges, if truly there was a
prima facie evidence or indictment against her regarding the said
issue.

“I wish to state I cannot forfeit what was never mine. I do not
know the basis on which the EFCC has chosen to say that I am the
owner of these funds as no evidence was provided to me before the
order was obtained, and they have not, in fact, served me with the
order or any evidence since they obtained it.

“Let me re-state categorically as I have always maintained, for
the record, I have not and will never steal money from or defraud
the Federal Government of Nigeria. I am willing to respond to
charges brought against me that follow duly laid down procedures,”
she said.

She challenged the anti-graft agency to also publish details of
the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC’s) accounts from
where the said $153.3 million was taken, with proof that she
authorised such a transaction/transactions, acting either in her
private capacity or as a minister, since the EFCC alleged that the
said $153.3 million was ‘wired’ from NNPC.

She also debunked the report that Italian prosecutors indicted
her for sharing in the loot of the $1.3 billion OPL 245 oil block
deal, which involved Malabu and the Joint Venture Multinational
partners, ENI (AGIP) and Royal Dutch.

“Let me once again state for the record that this is another
figment of the author’s imagination, which, given the persistent
bid to ensure my destruction and stick all of the sins of the
corruption that plagued oil and gas sector in the last 30 years
upon my head, probably emanated from the EFCC itself.”

“Let me clear the history of OPL 245, otherwise known as Malabu.
You will find a full chronology in the attached report that I made
to the House of Representatives in late 2011 (Annex 2A/Annex-2B).
In 2010, shortly after I was appointed as Minister of Petroleum
Resources, the issue of OPL 245 was brought to my attention. I
looked into the case and immediately became aware of the inherent
and long standing sensitivities around this issue. It became clear
from the onset that this case was not within the direct purview of
the Minister of Petroleum Resources, but, in the main, was centered
around issues of law. By this time, there was already an
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID)
investigation and claims against the FGN running into billions of
dollars. Therefore, we took directives from the Chief Legal Officer
of the nation; the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. In all
of these matters due process was followed to the letter at all
times. I wish to categorically state that I have never held any
discussions on this matter, with any individuals or entities
outside of official channels. As Minister of Petroleum Resources, I
did not participate in any activity relating to financial payments
on the Malabu matter, other than those statutorily mandated to the
Minister of Petroleum Resources by the Petroleum Act. My role in
this matter was purely a statutory, one as required by law in the
Petroleum Act 3,” she explained.

She responded to several other allegations of financial
malfeasance against her, saying it was sad and distressing that in
spite of all she did for the country, she was still being faced
with constant demonisation, unproven accusations and deep personal
insults.

“In response, I have chosen not to insult, accuse or demonise
any person or persons. In spite of all the allegations that have
been made against me, not one has been factually proven. I remain
very proud of the fact that all the policies, tenets and plans that
I initiated in the oil and gas sector are still underpinning the
entire structure. This is because they were put in place with the
good of the entire nation and its people in mind. They were not
factional or tribal, neither were they based on religious bias.

“I am a woman from the Niger Delta, who, through perseverance
and sheer hard work rose to one of the highest positions in the
country’s premier International Oil Company, and in tune with my
ethos of hard work, I earned the prestigious British Foreign and
Commonwealth Chevening Scholarship Award and was, thereafter,
admitted to my MBA programme at the World renowned Cambridge
University,” she said.

Sun

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison
Madueke, has broken her long silence on several allegations of
financial impropriety levelled against her by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and said she never stole
Nigeria’s money.

Mrs. Madueke, in a statement issued yesterday, a copy of which
was made available to our reporter, said she decided to respond to
the allegations because the EFCC was taking advantage of her
silence to try and convict her in the media.

The EFCC had alleged that the former minister, by an order of a
Federal High Court has forfeited $153.3 million to the Federal
Government.

In her reaction, Mrs. Madueke denied ever owning such money and
said she was never notified of formal charges, if truly there was a
prima facie evidence or indictment against her regarding the said
issue.

“I wish to state I cannot forfeit what was never mine. I do not
know the basis on which the EFCC has chosen to say that I am the
owner of these funds as no evidence was provided to me before the
order was obtained, and they have not, in fact, served me with the
order or any evidence since they obtained it.

“Let me re-state categorically as I have always maintained, for
the record, I have not and will never steal money from or defraud
the Federal Government of Nigeria. I am willing to respond to
charges brought against me that follow duly laid down procedures,”
she said.

She challenged the anti-graft agency to also publish details of
the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC’s) accounts from
where the said $153.3 million was taken, with proof that she
authorised such a transaction/transactions, acting either in her
private capacity or as a minister, since the EFCC alleged that the
said $153.3 million was ‘wired’ from NNPC.

She also debunked the report that Italian prosecutors indicted
her for sharing in the loot of the $1.3 billion OPL 245 oil block
deal, which involved Malabu and the Joint Venture Multinational
partners, ENI (AGIP) and Royal Dutch.

“Let me once again state for the record that this is another
figment of the author’s imagination, which, given the persistent
bid to ensure my destruction and stick all of the sins of the
corruption that plagued oil and gas sector in the last 30 years
upon my head, probably emanated from the EFCC itself.”

“Let me clear the history of OPL 245, otherwise known as Malabu.
You will find a full chronology in the attached report that I made
to the House of Representatives in late 2011 (Annex 2A/Annex-2B).
In 2010, shortly after I was appointed as Minister of Petroleum
Resources, the issue of OPL 245 was brought to my attention. I
looked into the case and immediately became aware of the inherent
and long standing sensitivities around this issue. It became clear
from the onset that this case was not within the direct purview of
the Minister of Petroleum Resources, but, in the main, was centered
around issues of law. By this time, there was already an
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID)
investigation and claims against the FGN running into billions of
dollars. Therefore, we took directives from the Chief Legal Officer
of the nation; the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. In all
of these matters due process was followed to the letter at all
times. I wish to categorically state that I have never held any
discussions on this matter, with any individuals or entities
outside of official channels. As Minister of Petroleum Resources, I
did not participate in any activity relating to financial payments
on the Malabu matter, other than those statutorily mandated to the
Minister of Petroleum Resources by the Petroleum Act. My role in
this matter was purely a statutory, one as required by law in the
Petroleum Act 3,” she explained.

She responded to several other allegations of financial
malfeasance against her, saying it was sad and distressing that in
spite of all she did for the country, she was still being faced
with constant demonisation, unproven accusations and deep personal
insults.

“In response, I have chosen not to insult, accuse or demonise
any person or persons. In spite of all the allegations that have
been made against me, not one has been factually proven. I remain
very proud of the fact that all the policies, tenets and plans that
I initiated in the oil and gas sector are still underpinning the
entire structure. This is because they were put in place with the
good of the entire nation and its people in mind. They were not
factional or tribal, neither were they based on religious bias.

“I am a woman from the Niger Delta, who, through perseverance
and sheer hard work rose to one of the highest positions in the
country’s premier International Oil Company, and in tune with my
ethos of hard work, I earned the prestigious British Foreign and
Commonwealth Chevening Scholarship Award and was, thereafter,
admitted to my MBA programme at the World renowned Cambridge
University,” she said.

Sun