Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has told the Southwark Crown Court that she had limited control over oil contract approvals during her time in office, insisting that most decisions were concluded before they reached her desk.
According to a report by THISDAY, Alison-Madueke explained while giving evidence that contract processes in the oil sector passed through several agencies before arriving at the minister’s office. She stressed that operational authority largely rested with the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, while the ministry played more of an oversight role.
She described the scale and complexity of the petroleum industry as making direct ministerial control impractical, adding that she was largely a “rubber stamp” in the approval chain.
The former minister said she attempted to cancel certain contract arrangements after receiving a whistleblower report but encountered resistance, including complaints escalated to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Revisiting the controversial $20 billion oil revenue allegation raised by Lamido Sanusi, she told the court the matter was later clarified through audits and legislative reviews, noting that the figures were tied to subsidy payments and operational costs, not missing funds. Alison-Madueke maintained that she was wrongly portrayed in the media as being involved in financial misconduct.
She further disclosed that investigations into fuel subsidy payments uncovered widespread abuses, including multiple claims by marketers. According to her, she reported the findings to the relevant authorities and introduced measures that reduced subsidy claims.
The former minister also told the court that her actions exposed her to security threats, including the abduction of family members, while alleging that political and business figures pressured her office for oil allocation favours, which she said she refused.
On her personal finances, Alison-Madueke stated that she used Nigerian-issued bank cards for transactions, including during official trips abroad, noting that public officials were not permitted to operate foreign accounts. She added that there were instances when her cards failed overseas, forcing others to cover some expenses.
The court heard details of her travels between 2011 and 2015, including official correspondence and passport records. She said she typically travelled with “an entourage of about 30 staff members,” including technical assistants and protocol officers, insisting that all official movements were documented in ministry diaries later archived by government authorities.
Addressing the use of chartered flights, she said both private and commercial flights were deployed for official duties.
Alison-Madueke said her tenure focused on boosting local participation in the oil sector and improving transparency.
She is standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde, an oil executive, and Doye Agama, her brother, on a five-count charge bordering on accepting bribes. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
