Former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke
has insisted that she never looted public funds.
In the concluding part of her interview with Mr Dele
Momodu, Diezani who is currently undergoing treatment for
cancer in a London hospital, said “I actually left $5.6billion in
the NLNG alone but no one is talking about it. I’m not
seeking to be praised but to be acknowledged that I made
some little contributions.
“That money could have been wasted on frivolities but I was
determined to keep something for the incoming government
once we lost the election.”
Continuing, she recalled: “On 4th of May, Ngozi (Dr Okonjo-
Iweala, ex-Minister of Finance) wrote to the President to
release $2billion from the money to clear her table and pay
contractors, which would have depleted the money to $
3.6billion, but I said to the President we shouldn’t do that.
“I explained what the accrued money was meant for and
gave a detailed background of the account. Even in the past,
Ngozi and the NSA had asked to be funded from it and I
stood my ground because the money was meant for the gas
project in Brass LNG in Bayelsa. Conoco Phillips pulling out
affected it.
“We wanted to run a gas economy. It was the money that
made it possible for President Buhari to pay the bail-out. If I
was corrupt, I would have spent the money on paying
contractors who would have been too happy to do anything.
I got calls from some of them promising kickbacks if I could
pay but I refused and the rest is history.”
Diezani said she was not surprised about the allegations of
corruption, adding that Buhari, despite his impeccable
pedigree was alleged to have had N2.8billion vanished
under his nose.
“Till this day no one has been able to prove that the then
Major General Buhari stole a kobo,” she said.
She said while it is true that a Minister is influential, the real
power is in NNPC.
“A Minister sits in the Ministry treating files, holding
meetings at home and abroad, looking glamorous and
taking all the flak but people forget that the soul and heart
of the nation is NNPC. The kind of due process we followed
was rigorous. You know, I came from Shell, where you had
to account for everything properly”, she added.
Asked to respond to the negative perception about her,
Diezani responded, “I was sitting on the prime portfolio in a
mono product economy. I carried out my duty in the
strictest terms. I stuck to my mandate which incidentally was
one which I championed with my Boss, to open up the
sector to our own people as long as they can satisfy the laid
down rules in the Local Content Act.
“I ensured that Nigerians would get the right of first refusal.
But unfortunately I stepped on toes, very powerful toes. I
was not liked by the foreigners and also some Nigerians who
lost out. Hakeem Bello-Osagie once told me something I
cannot forget; that 90 percent of Nigerians want to do oil
business but you can only satisfy about three percent, so the
rest will get angry thinking you blocked them.
“Believe it or not, and God is my witness, I didn’t have to
steal. I’m not an Angel but I’m not a devil. I don’t have
billions anywhere. How is it possible for one woman to steal
billions of dollars in a country like Nigeria? Did I blow up the
vaults of the Central Bank or transfer the money to heaven?
Where can you keep such money in this age of money
laundering fiasco?
“I did my job professionally without even thinking of anyone
as opposition. Otherwise we would not have approved the
Oando-Conoco Phillips deal. Tinubu came to see me three
times and we approved on merit…”
She also spoke on accusations that she funded President
Jonathan’s re-election bid: “How can I use $20billion for
elections, that is absolutely impossible. My boss will never
do such a thing. Many people don’t know my boss. He is a
very principled and stubborn man. There are things he will
not do. And there are things I will not do. I protected the
interests of my country.
“I can’t blame the doubters. They have seen more of the
worst of Nigeria that it becomes difficult to trust anyone. But
let me disclose something to you today because there is a
difference between belief and reality. I did an unusual thing
in our last days in government. I’m not sure I should tell you
before people say I’m boasting.”
Diezani added that her priority now is how to take care of
her poor health.
“I’m battling with a very serious type of cancer. I have tried
everything to contain the malevolent spread. I have had two
surgeries. The first was to take out the lumps from my
breast and the second was to cut deeper into the tissues. I
did the last one about three weeks ago (now about five
weeks). I’m still in some pains. I’ve gone through
Chemotherapy and now I’m starting Radiotherapy on
Monday for five weeks (two Mondays ago).
“I’m praying this one goes well because I don’t know if there
is any thing the doctors can do beyond this. The steroids
were devastating and at a point, I slipped into coma on July
28. My sugar level went wild first to 25 and then to 80. The
doctors called it a near-miss and I now know what they
mean when people say, ‘health is wealth’.
“My 14 year old son has been asking if Mummy would die. I
really don’t know because I believe nothing is impossible for
God. I’ve told my son that I will carry his children and
grandchildren…I pray I will.
“If I were a man may be things would have been different; it
would never have gone to this extent. I have never stolen
from my country. I will repeat that before God and man
even if no one would listen. On this job, you don’t have to
steal.
“Nigerians are the most wonderful people if you are lucky to
have a few good friends who believe in you. All the foreign
Ambassadors say it, the reason many often come back to
work and reside in our country. People can call Nigeria and
Nigerians bad names but we remain the most generous and
humane people on earth.
“If I have another chance, I will be more tempered on
stepping on big toes but I will still do my job the best way
but in a moderated way. Perhaps, I should have done things
more subtly. I did what I thought was good for my country. I
own no oil well. The President signed none for himself. I do
not indulge in extravagant things even if people think I’m
flamboyant. My only indulgence is my family and may be
architecture and architectural interiors.
“God will do as He wills. He said He will bless who He wishes
to bless… There is nothing anyone can do about it. So be
happy about people’s good fortune. It all feels like a bad
dream but God knows the beginning from the end and the
end from the beginning,” Diezani concluded.

http://dailypost.ng/2015/11/23/god-knows-i-didnt-steal-buhari-paid-bailout-from-5-6bn-i-left-in-nlng-diezani/

Speedy recovery Madame Diezani.

__________________________

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Naija my koun3

Is not that I did not agree whit you or that I did agree whit you. But if the money have really bean looted the question is who looted the money

Don't worry in the fullness of time we will know who is really lying!

But the told us Gej left nothing for them

Double standard and hypocrisy killing nigeria since inception. Whenever the corruption cases of Amaechi, tinubu, abacha, ibb, obj etc are mentioned pple will turn a blind eye and behave as if they know nothing about it. But when Dieziani is mentioned pple are quick to insult, castigate and crucify her. Wetin concern me sha! Na una sabi

MADAM IF GOD KNOWS WHY HUMAN BEING SHOULD NOT KNOW?CRIMINAL JAIL IS AWAIT