Wednesday, April 15, 2015

SIX COUNTRIES TURNED DOWN ALISON MADUEKE'S SHELTER REQUEST.

No fewer than six countries have already refused to grant a place of safety request by the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. The Business Council for Africa (BCA) said in its just released monthly report that about $1 trillion is the latest estimated figure of the looting of the Nigerian treasury between 1960 and 2005 alone. According to the report dated March 2015 focused extensively on Nigeria’s general elections. It said the notorious minister, whose impunity is known to have been closely protected by President Goodluck Jonathan, will be coming under the microscope for the first time in her ministerial career. “Given her reputation, it comes as no surprise to learn that 6 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,” it said. The BCA recalled the president-elect Muhammadu Buhari lamenting that the rest of the world looks at Nigeria as the home of corruption, one where stealing is not corruption but a way of life, and that his administration will pursue all public officers and individuals who are believed to be guilty of corruption. It observed that despite an earlier promise, it is now understood that Buhari’s anti corruption fishing net will include ministers currently serving under President Goodluck Jonathan.  Alison-Madueke’s departure from Nigeria is likely to be followed by several other PDP elders, party members and supporters as well as some former government officials, as Buhari’s anti corruption drive will be far-reaching. “It will be very interesting to learn in the coming months exactly how far back in Nigeria’s history his administration will go in the pursuance of those who have robbed”. The latest estimated figure of theft from the Nigerian treasury between 1960 to 2005 is estimated $1 trillion. Given that President Jonathan’s administration is considered the most corrupt of any of its predecessors, that figure is going to be considerably magnified, but whether the new president will wish to pursue former heads of state is a matter of interest and considerable debate to Nigeria observers. It is this subject that is primarily responsible for Buhari’s success in winning the election, as well as his campaign promises to eradicate Boko Haram, revive the economy and rebuild Nigeria to its position as the number one country in Africa. While the BCA agreed that the March/April 2015 were “the most credible elections in Nigeria’s history”, it said they could not be called the most incorruptible. On the contrary, it referred to them as the worst because of the amount of money that the PDP so freely and openly spent on trying to secure the re-election of the out-going President Goodluck Jonathan. “The stories and reports from the 36 States of the federation and the amount of money distributed by the PDP to elders, rulers, church leaders, unions and youth leaders amongst others in an endeavour to favour the voters towards the PDP has backfired badly,” the report said. BCA said that if the 2011 elections were considered bad, the 2015 elections will undoubtedly go down as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history, certainly since 1999, as the amount of money being distributed as bribes primarily by the PDP so very openly would readily confirm. It reported that since November when campaigning began, President Jonathan and General Buhari during their travels made no fewer than 109 promises of what they intend to achieve if given the mandate in the presidential election. “President Jonathan’s campaign continued to hinge on his party’s Transformation Agenda and the achievements of his Government in the last 4 years, particularly in the agricultural sector, job creation and the empowerment of women,” the report said.  In that regard, it credited Jonathan as having achieved a great deal during his tenure. According to the report, it was, however, Jonathan’s failures, rampant corruption, insecurity, inability to eliminate the Boko Haram insurgency, failure in such sectors as the economy, and power in particular, and the overall feeling that he was ruled rather than leading that have cost him his re-election bid. The report also stated that in the 2015 elections, up to 250 Nigerians lost their lives, describing that deplorable record as speaking volumes for the control achieved by the police at the campaign rallies by the two main candidates. It described the cost of the campaigns of the two main parties as “simply staggering”, noting that by the first week of March, Buhari had spent some N332.58 billion as compared to the expenditure of President Jonathan which amounted to N1.05 trillion. “This is without taking into account the cost of other expenses for such items as campaign rallies, where the PDP has spent N1.06 billion against Muhammadu Buhari’s APC’s N595.08 million, and clearly demonstrates the desperate lengths that the PDP have gone to in order to try and secure the re-election of President Jonathan.” In a swift reaction to cover the asylum seeking, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke, said last night that she was not seeking asylum in any part of the world, as claimed by her traducers. An online publication reported, yesterday, that the minister had been denied asylum by six countries, where she had so far applied, but did not mention the countries involved. Mrs Madueke, who spoke through the Group Public Affairs General Manager of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr Ohi Alegbe, denied ever contemplating relocating from Nigeria. Alegbe said his boss merely went for a short vacation outside Nigeria and 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 asylum anywhere. “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.” The online medium, quoting a group known as Business Council for Africa, BCA, had said that no fewer than six countries had already refused an asylum request by Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke. The BCA gave the impression that the minister would be investigated under the new administration of Gen Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), even though he had said that he would not probe his predecessors. “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,” it said. In an earlier event immedietely after President Goodluck Jonaathan lost re-election bid to General Muhammad Buhari (Rtd), the minister, popularly called the oil goddess, and known for her exuberance and plundering of Nigeria’s petro-dollars with impunity has paid an early morning visit to Ex-president Abdulsalami Abubakar who happen to be the Chairman of the Abuja Peace Accord. Diezani is known to partner with Kola Aluko and other sudden billionaires to loot Nigeria’s wealth, some of whom have even swindled her of billions of dollars, leaving here broke and frustrated lately. She was behind much of the dirty and desperate campaigning against the opposition revolution and was part of those who sponsored the NSA Sambo Dasuki and army chief election postponement in the hope of defeating President-elect Buhari. Diezani has been in charge of the kerosene subsidy scam that has constantly looted $100 million monthly in fake subsidy money for kerosene through Mr Ifenyi Uba that sold at over N100 a liter against subsidized rates meant to be N50/liter. This money has amounted to over $12 billion dollars being looted by Diezani, president Jonathan and the Cabal every year which is part of over $20 billion dollars that gets missing in 18 months as reported by former central bank governor and now Kano Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Cabal like Aliko Dangote have also recently pilgrimaged to Abdulsalami and President-elect Buhari to negotiate terms of continued enjoyment to the death of Nigerian masses. Aliko Dangote was also spotted seated and looking ignored in Bhari's office immedietely the election results were announced.