Amid the allegations that Diezani Alison-Madueke is seeking asylum outside Nigeria, the Petroleum Minister has herself provided a comment on the issue.
After Muhammadu Buhari was voted president-elect of the country, reports emerged that he had already started dealing with corrupt officials in Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Alison-Madueke, whose name has been linked with the big amounts of missing oil money, was said to be among such officials.
It was provided by a source that the minster had been flown to the United Kingdom, from where she might escape to a safe haven. Moreover, she was said to have been denied asylum by six countries.
Alison-Madueke’s aide did not deny the fact of her leaving for some period, however, he provided another reason for her trip, which was a health issue.
In a recent development the minister reacted to the reports through Ohi Alegbe, the Group Public Affairs General Manager of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Alegbe denied the allegations insisting that she would soon return to Nigeria and added that those stories were mere fabrication aimed at confusing some gullible persons.
The aide was quoted as saying by Vanguard:
“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 any.
“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.”
It should be recalled that the minister popularity plummeted after Lamido Sanusi, the former CBN governor, accused the NNPC of not being able to account for$20 billion oil money. Despite the public outcry, Alison-Madueke refused to duly explain the situation.
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