Once Upon a Diezani Alison Madueke,
Once upon a time, the name Diezani Alison Madueke was a name to be reckoned with in our society as far as politics is concerned. It is a name synonymous with fame and wealth. She never held any elected post but she was more popular than many state governors. She was an epitome of beauty and intelligence. Her rising profile and connection within the corridors of power paved way for her; she is one of the highest ranking ministers to have served 3 different presidents back to back.
Her appointment as the minister of Petroleum under the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan brought out the good, the bad and the ugly part of her. She became the first woman to serve as the petroleum minister in the history of Nigeria. Her appointment was a morale booster for women participation in politics. She was a god in her class; and lived a kind of life style imagined in the Ottoman Empire; she acquired estates, lived in mansions and acquired choice houses around the globe. She was chauffeur driven on private jets on most of her movements within Nigeria. One of her houses confiscated in Asokoro, Abjua by EFCC was reported to have worth $18 million with a $2 million furnishing and a gym house. She also had young men who did the dirty job of laundering her ill-gotten wealth.
That was the story of Diezani Alison Madueke, a lady who once upon a time was fearlessly untouchable; she wielded so many powers, even governors feared her. In one of the plenary sittings at the beginning of the 8th senate, Senator Akpabio once confessed at the plenary during his reign as governor of Akwa Ibom that she was unable to see the petroleum minister after several attempts when he was governor of Akwa ibom State.
She ignored panels set up to probe her over petition written against her bordering on misappropriation of public funds, money laundry and embezzlement. She once ignored invitation by the national Assembly over misappropriation of Sure P funds. Nobody ever dared the former petroleum minister; she got away with every allegation leveled against her.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) had always been marred by controversies but the coming of Alison Madueke as Petroleum minister; elevated the status of the cooperation to full blown corruption with an official stamp.
Once upon a time, our nation has begun unearthing the people who contributed in the colossal rape of our nation and Diezani Alison Madueke contributed immensely to our collective journey to the ugly past.
Once upon a Diezani Alison Madueke, the once richest petroleum Minister and her surrogates are now facing corruption charges in the United Sates, where she ran to seek refuge in the pretense of convalescing, while back home, EFCC, through the courts, is forfeiting and confiscating all she invested with her loot.
Once upon a nation, there was a Diezani Alison Madueke.
Joe Onwukeme
@unjoerated
unjoeratedjoe@gmail.com