Saturday 10 October 2015

The Greed of a Female Minister Reloaded


She is a female. She is a mother. Her name is Diezani-Alison Madueke, the Ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources and a mother of three children.

Checking her profile reveals that God has been kind to her all her life. Diezani never lacked any good thing: born into a royal family, went to some of the best schools in the world, Howard and Cambridge; worked in one of the best companies in Nigeria, Shell Petroleum; married to one of the top personalities in Nigeria; and blessed with three children

And the country, Nigeria, too gave Diezani the best she could ever give her citizens. Diezani Alison-Madueke held held three significant positions in the Nigerian federal government. She was appointed Transport Minister in 2007. In 2008, she was named as Minister of Mines and Steel Development. And after Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan became acting President in February 2010, Diezani was named as Minister for Petroleum Resources. This is the post she has held till May 2015.

The World was not left out in being kind to Diezani: In 2014, she was elected the first female President to OPEC; In December 2014, she was elected President, Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF); she was elected Chairman Committee of Ministers of the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA).

But with all these benevolence from God, country and world, Diezani has been in the news for corruption practices of the highest order since 2008. Check the following:

1. In 2008, Diezani was a subject to a Senate probe after it emerged that as Transport Minister, she had paid N30.9b ($263m) to contractors between 26 and 31 December 2007.

2. In April 2014, Diezani was alleged to have spent over N10b inappropriately on private jets maintenance whilst many Nigerians suffer.

3. In 2009, the Senate of Nigeria indicted Diezani Alison-Madueke and recommended prosecution for the allegedly transferring N1.2b into the private account of a toll company without due process and in breach of concession agreement.

4. In April 2015, Diezani was alleged to have stolen N1.329tr as subsidy payments over three years (2009 to 2011)

5. 2010-2015, Under Diezani's supervision, the NNPC spent N700m daily to subsidize kerosene without the product reaching consumers who pay as much as N150 per litre, instead of the NNPC’s approved sum of N55 per litre.

6. In January 2015, $700m (raw cash) was allegedly found in her house, out of which $10m was stolen by her house aide.

7. In April 2015, Diezani was reported to have been responsible for the missing $20b dollars out of which $16b was returned.

8. In August 2015, Diezani together with Godluck Jonathan and his ex-CSO were alleged to have illegally withdrew $6.9m  (N1.460b) from the secret account of the NNPC to buy three 12meter mobile stages for use at public events.

9. In October 2, 2015, Diezani was nicked in London over allegations that 13b UK Pounds had gone walkabout from Nigeria's coffers.

So what could have made this woman, Diezani, who has had it all to still steal and engage in corruption practices at the expense of Nigeria?

GREED!

Yes greed, the intense and selfish desire for wealth and power.

It could be forgiven when a man is associated with corruption. It could be forgiven when a man steal. But when a woman is at the centre of it all then, all is not well. And if the person is a mother? God have mercy! What will she tell her children? What will she tell her grandchildren? A woman is supposed to be a mother of hope and a beacon of integrity.

Everything seems to be going wrong for Diezani. She failed in her lobby to get a soft landing in the event she is probed by the administration of General Buhari; she failed in her request to get asylum in 6 countries; she is currently battling with cancer in a UK hospital. And just yesterday news filtered in that she was arrested in London on Friday along with four other persons in relation to corruption allegations being investigated by the UK National Crime Agency. The EFCC has also moved to seal up her houses in Abuja.

If Diezani falls, nobody should blame it on God. If Diezani fizzles out, nobody should be blamed on country. If Diezani is arranged for trial nobody should carry placard and say it is because she is an Igbo woman. If Diezani goes to prison nobody should say it is witch-hunting.

Rather, it should be blamed on Diezani herself. Her selfish desire to want to steal, and steal, and steal. Yes it will be blamed on Diezani herself, the greedy woman minister. She is the witch! Nobody else.

Lastly blame it on the man who created the platform for Diezani to steal and steal and steal. Yes, blame it on EX- for being a bad leader and a bad role model to Diezani

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