Skip to main content

$1.3b NNPC cash: I acted on Jonathan’s instructions, says Diezani

Diezani Alison Madueke
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke yesterday said she acted on the instructions of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in directing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to release $1.3billion to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
She said it was not within the power or discretion of any minister to question or disregard the written directive of a president.
The ex-minister made the clarifications through a statement by her Media Adviser, Mr. Clem Aguiyi, against the backdrop of the ongoing probe of the withdrawal of $1.3billion from the accounts of NNPC to fight kidnapping and other security threats in the Niger Delta.
Although about $1.4billion was requested by the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) via three memos, for “Intervention for Urgent National Security Projects”, about $1.3billion was released from NNPC’s accounts.
But it was unclear what became of the $100million balance as at press time.
ONSA requested for $1.4billion between March 27, 2014 and May 5, 2014 when approval was given and cash-backed.
Three memos were sent to Dr. Jonathan on March 27, 2014, 31st March 2014 and May 5, 2014.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke stressed that she could not be held liable for carrying out a presidential directive.
The statement said: “The attention of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum, has been drawn to a story in The Nation Newspaper of Monday 22nd January, 2018 as well as other print and online media titled “Diezani in trouble again over withdrawal of $1.3b from NNPC accounts”.
“Under Section 5 of the Constitution, all executive powers are vested in the President who may exercise it directly or through the Vice President or Ministers of the Federation. As Minister for Petroleum Resources Mrs. Alison-Madueke was an appointee and delegate of the President.
“Consequently, the Minister of Petroleum Resources acted on the basis of the written approvals and directives given by the President, which approvals were given after written requests from the relevant security agencies were made to the President.
“At such instances, as in fact the article clearly shows, a Service Chief or Intelligence Chief makes a written request/appeal to Mr. President, outlining whatever urgent and critical security needs of the nation they consider imminently paramount, at any given point in time.
“If such a request received the approval of the President, the President may direct that the requested funds be drawn from a Security Budget maintained by NNPC, or that the funds be sourced from elsewhere.
“Where the President directs the Minister of Petroleum Resources, in writing, to make the payment from the NNPC, the Minister, in turn, directs the GMD NNPC in writing to execute the directive of the President. NNPC then wires the funds from one of its major foreign bank accounts, or from the CBN, directly to the stipulated account of the particular branch of the armed services, or intelligence unit, or department, that initiated the request.
“It is not within the power or discretion of any serving minister to question or disregard the written directive of a president including that of the incumbent President”
The former Minister stated that at no time, did she, or could she, as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, interfere with this process.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke said since the disbursement of $1.3billion was traceable, it was wrong to assume that it was diverted.
“It is, therefore, impossible and implausible, for any monies under such presidential directives to be diverted during the process, at least from the standpoint of the minister.
“Any and all amounts approved and directed by Mr. President to be paid, were executed exclusively by NNPC, directly from NNPC’s foreign and or, Central Bank of Nigeria accounts, to the stated recipients.
“Therefore, let it be very clear, that all funds disbursed by these banking institutions on behalf of NNPC are easily and openly traceable, and the process cannot and should not be utilised for the distortion of facts,” the statement said.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Police confirms 5 dead, several injured in fresh attacks on Fulani settlements by suspected Mambilla militias

                                  Atleast 5 people were killed and several others injured in fresh attacks on Fulani settlements by suspected Mambilla militia in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State on Saturday. The spokesman for the Taraba State Police Command, ASP David Misal, who confirmed the incident said the crisis started on Thursday over a land dispute between Fulani and Mambilla in Yerimaru village and later snowballed into neighbouring villages. Misal said that units of mobile policemen and soldiers from the 20 battalion in Serti have been dispatched to the area to maintain law and order, adding that several homes were burnt down and many cows killed and stolen during the attack. A fleeing resident Saadu Mogoggo whose house was attacked at Leme suburb of Gembu, said two of his younger brothers were killed their cattle were rustled by the militia. “As I am...
Post a Comment
Read more

My horrible encounter with Ochanya’s alleged abuser – Victim’s sister speaks (1)

Mr and Mrs Ogbanje, Ochanya's parents   Sitting on the bed in a room at Ogene-Amejo village and listening to Rose Abah, mother of the deceased rape victim, Ochanya Ogbanje; there was almost no way of telling what her next stunning revelation would be. She earlier narrated the horrible details about her daughter, Ochanya’s  death . Mrs Abah told PREMIUM TIMES that Andrew Ogbuja made several attempts to rape her other 26-year-old daughter, Esther Ameh. According to Mrs Abah, the incident happened in April, 2018, when Miss Ameh went to the Ogbuja’s to care for her 13-year-old sister who had become perennially sick, after going to live with Mrs Ogbuja who was a maternal second cousin to the siblings. “Do you know that he also tried to sleep with my late daughter’s elder sister, Esther? That one is 13 years older than Ochanya,” Ms Abah said. Pointing at Miss Ameh’s picture hung on the wall, Mrs Abah said her other daughter had gone to the Ogbuja’s to care of...
Post a Comment
Read more

The worst crime a family can do is marrying their scumbag son to an innocent girl in the hope he will miraculously change" Arab influencer writes

    An Arab influencer has raised a discussion about families marrying off their sons who are not responsible enough, to innocent girls.   He pointed out that it has become common and when the man's behaviour doesn't improve after marriage, the woman is blamed.   Abed Alii tweeted: "The worst crime a family can do is marrying their son, who they know is a scum bag, to an innocent girl in the hope he will miraculously change...   "My sympathies are always with the womenfolk. They leave their family and come to an absolutely new one, without any support and then get abused. I’ve heard that so many times. 'maybe she’ll change him. She will make him change his bad habits. She’s a good girl.' It’s not her job to educate your son at the risk of damaging her mental Health!  And vice versa... let’s keep it real."   He added that it goes both ways and he has seen it happen to someone he knows.   Read his tweets below.    
Post a Comment
Read more