The-diezani-alison-madueke-we-know-and-the-need-to-have-her-and-her-likes-brought-to-justice
September 7, 2020 | News
THE DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE WE KNOW - AND THE NEED TO HAVE HER AND HER LIKES BROUGHT TO JUSTICE
As a follow-up to my recent write-up on Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s Moral Message to Nigerian youths, which is best described as the height of hypocrisy typical of Nigerian public office holders, I still cannot help but to ask the former Petroleum Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Government: how do you tell young Nigerians to work hard and do what is right, when you have not proven to the Nigerian people and the world that you are innocent of the disturbing corrupt allegations on your neck?
By coming online to publicly say that societal values have disintegrated to the extent that online fraudsters (aka Yahoo boys), have become role models in the Nigerian society, the question is: How is Diezani different from a fraudster, going by her corrupt-ridden reign in Office as Petroleum Minister? She evidently has no shame, which is sadly common for a lot of our (present and past) politicians and public office holders. I even wonder who invited Diezani to speak on moral values while delivering a lecture at a virtual event? Was it an attempt to ridicule her? Or is it just a case of sycophancy? Or perhaps, maybe Deziani was invited to speak as a way of managing her bad reputation in the eyes of Nigerians. And also a way of trying to redeem her image, reputation and soiled integrity. But whatever the case may be, Deziani could not have been the appropriate person to have been invited to speak on such a national discourse issue on morality.
Why this is disturbing, one day she’s going to stand on a podium and offer this advice, and be cheered by the country she once robbed. Such development, can only happen in a place like Nigeria, where the issues of social justice, equity, patriotism, rule of law and good governance, have become very scarce commodities.
For years, I, and many well-meaning Nigerians have been crying out and complaining how this woman, Diezani, is corrupt and had emptied the nation’s treasury under her watch as a Petroleum Minister. But times without number, she and those in support of her reign in office and that Government, have always denied it and defended them. Until some US prosecutors around July 2017, exposed how Diezani Alison-Madueke, Mr. Jide Omokore and Mr. Kolawole Aluko, blew billions of US Dollars belonging to the country, on “lavish lifestyles”. This was well-documented by a Youtuber, Adeola Fayehun in one of her online videos. It was only at that point that Diezani suddenly threw her silence of denial into the air and came out to say that she is “ready to go to jail”. It was as if all that Nigerians like me, were saying were not making sense. Or that we did not know what we were saying. It was as if it was only when America said it, that it became an issue. Let us remember when $20bn went missing from the nation’s treasury, they all denied it that period, including the then former President Jonathan, who even said in a national TV interview with journalists that if such amount of public funds went missing, that America would know about it.
Further investigation by the said US prosecutors on Diezani, through the intervention of her phone conversations, exposed how she allocated several Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) Contracts to Aluko and Omokore, despite their lack of technical expertise or capacity to operate the said OMLs. In fact, they sub-contracted these OMLs’ Contracts to Third Parties, and they made tons of money by not fulfilling some of the contractual agreement stated in the contracts. But Diezani gave it to them. And in return, they bought several properties for her across different parts of the world, many of which were worth billions and had made headlines then. This was how she got those properties that have been turning heads, few of which have been confiscated by the court and ceded to the Nigerian Government. They also wired billions of US Dollars into her account. Diezani even had the audacity to come forth one time to say that the furniture they bought for her was “just $4m”. A whole $4m is now ‘just’.
With Diezani’s help, these people were able to steal $1.76 billion, which was funds from the NNPC. Imagine this, the biggest foreclosure of $50.9m, ever recorded in New York City, was a property owned by a Nigerian, Aluko. Just imagine the embarrassment. They used our money to buy a $50m apartment in New York, another $80m spent on a yacht, the same yacht that popular American singer, Beyonce paid $900m one time on, and used it with her family to cruise for her 32nd birthday. Another house Aluko bought in California was for $24m, which he later sold. And he has three private jets. What do you do with three private executive jets for God’s sake? Over 50 exotic cars, for one person alone. He even went on to date super model Naomi Campbell, who later dumped him and moved on to someone else.
We can go on and on, but we should always think of what these monies could have done in Nigeria and it’s economy if it were rightly invested here by these same people? These people, literally took residence outside the shores of Nigeria, to embark on a spending spree and assets acquisition in Britain, Canada, United States of America and Switzerland. Whereas, within that same period they were doing this, in Zimbabwe, they completed and opened a brand-new state-of-art international airport - The Victoria Falls International Airport, which was built with $150m. Think of how many of such airports we would have built in Nigeria if they had used all that money stolen to build airports. That is eleven of such airports would have been in different places/cities in Nigeria. Then there is the Enfidha-Hammamet International airport in Tunisia that was built from 2007 to 2009, on which they spent $520 million to build. With the money that these people stole, that means we could have at least built three of such beautiful and efficient airports in Nigeria. The Cape Town International Airport in South-Africa was renovated/upgraded to a world class airport with just $138m. Imagine if they had spent that amount on the Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, what we would have right now would be the envy of so many countries. It was reported some years ago that Diezani was sick with cancer and was being treated in the UK, but one would think that the money they stole could have built her and Nigerians, a very sophisticated hospital where she and other top government officials could always receive treatment. Like the Rush Hospital East Tower in Chicago which was built with $654m, not billions of dollars, we are talking about millions of dollars and they built it in 2011.
Do you know how much they make in that hospital, $3.79 billion? We can see how basic infrastructure can fuel and improve the economy of a nation. They spent $654m and now they are making over $3billion, and we are sure some Nigerian big wigs and government officials have gone there to pay big money to get treated for terminal sicknesses like cancer, as they have a cancer center there, before the ban on travel overseas for medical care due to the Covid-19 outbreak. That hospital alone in the US has 8,436 employees as at 2013, employs 1,789 Doctors and 1,366 Nurses. People would have nice jobs today in Nigeria if they had used the stolen funds for such vital infrastructure. There is also the Texas Children’s Hospital - Pavilion for Women, that was built with $575million between 2007-2012. Yet, these corrupt Nigerians stole almost $2billion and they spent on yachts, cars, properties etc.
With this, as an example, we hope that Nigerians would see the grievous impact of the corrupt practices the likes of Diezani have committed against the nation’s growth under the past government. Sadly, many of them are still committing these atrocities till today. It is not just about the fact that we could have good hospitals and less people would die, but also many graduates would have good jobs today in Nigeria, and there won’t be need for Nigerian professionals deciding to leave the country to work in the diaspora, or many others who meet their untimely death trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea or become slaves in Libya. If only of these people had invested this money in Nigeria. Imagine if that money was invested in the Power sector. Don’t you think we would have stable electricity today? Smilow Cancer Hospital in the US was built with $454m. That is a cancer center. Even if we have just one of these in Nigeria today, do you know how much they will be making for the economy? Some Nigerian celebrities who were rich yesterday, are today seeking for funds to go treat terminal illnesses abroad.
Just think of the hospitals, the airport, the good roads, the stable electricity, the good housing, the availability of food etc., that we would have today if not for these public thieves. And many of them are still in today’s government at the Federal and State levels - stealing the nation to death. Just one good hospital of international standard, can save us at least the over $1 billion spent yearly on Medical Tourism, which would be invested back into the Nigerian economy. This would even make the Federal hospitals to improve on their current status and services.
The saddest part of this tale is that in the midst of this, some prominent Nigerians, Elites and supposed educated and politically-exposed persons, South-South academicians/intellectuals, South-South activists and Niger-Delta militants are still singing the praises and defending some of these obviously corrupt elements. Like we have been seeing them do in the South-South of the Niger-delta region, for obviously corrupt politicians and public office holders in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta, and the State Governments in the South-South of the Niger-delta region. Many Nigerians today still celebrate and praise these failures and mediocrity of political leaders. We seriously need to stop celebrating mediocrity or the support of a failed government, just like we have in all the parts of the South-South areas. May God help us in this country of ours.
Zik Gbemre.
August 12, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
THE DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE WE KNOW - AND THE NEED TO HAVE HER AND HER LIKES BROUGHT TO JUSTICE
As a follow-up to my recent write-up on Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s Moral Message to Nigerian youths, which is best described as the height of hypocrisy typical of Nigerian public office holders, I still cannot help but to ask the former Petroleum Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Government: how do you tell young Nigerians to work hard and do what is right, when you have not proven to the Nigerian people and the world that you are innocent of the disturbing corrupt allegations on your neck?
By coming online to publicly say that societal values have disintegrated to the extent that online fraudsters (aka Yahoo boys), have become role models in the Nigerian society, the question is: How is Diezani different from a fraudster, going by her corrupt-ridden reign in Office as Petroleum Minister? She evidently has no shame, which is sadly common for a lot of our (present and past) politicians and public office holders. I even wonder who invited Diezani to speak on moral values while delivering a lecture at a virtual event? Was it an attempt to ridicule her? Or is it just a case of sycophancy? Or perhaps, maybe Deziani was invited to speak as a way of managing her bad reputation in the eyes of Nigerians. And also a way of trying to redeem her image, reputation and soiled integrity. But whatever the case may be, Deziani could not have been the appropriate person to have been invited to speak on such a national discourse issue on morality.
Why this is disturbing, one day she’s going to stand on a podium and offer this advice, and be cheered by the country she once robbed. Such development, can only happen in a place like Nigeria, where the issues of social justice, equity, patriotism, rule of law and good governance, have become very scarce commodities.
For years, I, and many well-meaning Nigerians have been crying out and complaining how this woman, Diezani, is corrupt and had emptied the nation’s treasury under her watch as a Petroleum Minister. But times without number, she and those in support of her reign in office and that Government, have always denied it and defended them. Until some US prosecutors around July 2017, exposed how Diezani Alison-Madueke, Mr. Jide Omokore and Mr. Kolawole Aluko, blew billions of US Dollars belonging to the country, on “lavish lifestyles”. This was well-documented by a Youtuber, Adeola Fayehun in one of her online videos. It was only at that point that Diezani suddenly threw her silence of denial into the air and came out to say that she is “ready to go to jail”. It was as if all that Nigerians like me, were saying were not making sense. Or that we did not know what we were saying. It was as if it was only when America said it, that it became an issue. Let us remember when $20bn went missing from the nation’s treasury, they all denied it that period, including the then former President Jonathan, who even said in a national TV interview with journalists that if such amount of public funds went missing, that America would know about it.
Further investigation by the said US prosecutors on Diezani, through the intervention of her phone conversations, exposed how she allocated several Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) Contracts to Aluko and Omokore, despite their lack of technical expertise or capacity to operate the said OMLs. In fact, they sub-contracted these OMLs’ Contracts to Third Parties, and they made tons of money by not fulfilling some of the contractual agreement stated in the contracts. But Diezani gave it to them. And in return, they bought several properties for her across different parts of the world, many of which were worth billions and had made headlines then. This was how she got those properties that have been turning heads, few of which have been confiscated by the court and ceded to the Nigerian Government. They also wired billions of US Dollars into her account. Diezani even had the audacity to come forth one time to say that the furniture they bought for her was “just $4m”. A whole $4m is now ‘just’.
With Diezani’s help, these people were able to steal $1.76 billion, which was funds from the NNPC. Imagine this, the biggest foreclosure of $50.9m, ever recorded in New York City, was a property owned by a Nigerian, Aluko. Just imagine the embarrassment. They used our money to buy a $50m apartment in New York, another $80m spent on a yacht, the same yacht that popular American singer, Beyonce paid $900m one time on, and used it with her family to cruise for her 32nd birthday. Another house Aluko bought in California was for $24m, which he later sold. And he has three private jets. What do you do with three private executive jets for God’s sake? Over 50 exotic cars, for one person alone. He even went on to date super model Naomi Campbell, who later dumped him and moved on to someone else.
We can go on and on, but we should always think of what these monies could have done in Nigeria and it’s economy if it were rightly invested here by these same people? These people, literally took residence outside the shores of Nigeria, to embark on a spending spree and assets acquisition in Britain, Canada, United States of America and Switzerland. Whereas, within that same period they were doing this, in Zimbabwe, they completed and opened a brand-new state-of-art international airport - The Victoria Falls International Airport, which was built with $150m. Think of how many of such airports we would have built in Nigeria if they had used all that money stolen to build airports. That is eleven of such airports would have been in different places/cities in Nigeria. Then there is the Enfidha-Hammamet International airport in Tunisia that was built from 2007 to 2009, on which they spent $520 million to build. With the money that these people stole, that means we could have at least built three of such beautiful and efficient airports in Nigeria. The Cape Town International Airport in South-Africa was renovated/upgraded to a world class airport with just $138m. Imagine if they had spent that amount on the Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, what we would have right now would be the envy of so many countries. It was reported some years ago that Diezani was sick with cancer and was being treated in the UK, but one would think that the money they stole could have built her and Nigerians, a very sophisticated hospital where she and other top government officials could always receive treatment. Like the Rush Hospital East Tower in Chicago which was built with $654m, not billions of dollars, we are talking about millions of dollars and they built it in 2011.
Do you know how much they make in that hospital, $3.79 billion? We can see how basic infrastructure can fuel and improve the economy of a nation. They spent $654m and now they are making over $3billion, and we are sure some Nigerian big wigs and government officials have gone there to pay big money to get treated for terminal sicknesses like cancer, as they have a cancer center there, before the ban on travel overseas for medical care due to the Covid-19 outbreak. That hospital alone in the US has 8,436 employees as at 2013, employs 1,789 Doctors and 1,366 Nurses. People would have nice jobs today in Nigeria if they had used the stolen funds for such vital infrastructure. There is also the Texas Children’s Hospital - Pavilion for Women, that was built with $575million between 2007-2012. Yet, these corrupt Nigerians stole almost $2billion and they spent on yachts, cars, properties etc.
With this, as an example, we hope that Nigerians would see the grievous impact of the corrupt practices the likes of Diezani have committed against the nation’s growth under the past government. Sadly, many of them are still committing these atrocities till today. It is not just about the fact that we could have good hospitals and less people would die, but also many graduates would have good jobs today in Nigeria, and there won’t be need for Nigerian professionals deciding to leave the country to work in the diaspora, or many others who meet their untimely death trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea or become slaves in Libya. If only of these people had invested this money in Nigeria. Imagine if that money was invested in the Power sector. Don’t you think we would have stable electricity today? Smilow Cancer Hospital in the US was built with $454m. That is a cancer center. Even if we have just one of these in Nigeria today, do you know how much they will be making for the economy? Some Nigerian celebrities who were rich yesterday, are today seeking for funds to go treat terminal illnesses abroad.
Just think of the hospitals, the airport, the good roads, the stable electricity, the good housing, the availability of food etc., that we would have today if not for these public thieves. And many of them are still in today’s government at the Federal and State levels - stealing the nation to death. Just one good hospital of international standard, can save us at least the over $1 billion spent yearly on Medical Tourism, which would be invested back into the Nigerian economy. This would even make the Federal hospitals to improve on their current status and services.
The saddest part of this tale is that in the midst of this, some prominent Nigerians, Elites and supposed educated and politically-exposed persons, South-South academicians/intellectuals, South-South activists and Niger-Delta militants are still singing the praises and defending some of these obviously corrupt elements. Like we have been seeing them do in the South-South of the Niger-delta region, for obviously corrupt politicians and public office holders in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta, and the State Governments in the South-South of the Niger-delta region. Many Nigerians today still celebrate and praise these failures and mediocrity of political leaders. We seriously need to stop celebrating mediocrity or the support of a failed government, just like we have in all the parts of the South-South areas. May God help us in this country of ours.
Zik Gbemre.
August 12, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes