Diezani Alison-Madueke Testifies as Rubber Stamp in Court

Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, testified at Southwark Crown Court in London, asserting that she was only a rubber stamp in the approval of oil contracts. She explained that the complexities of Nigeria's oil sector made direct oversight impractical, and she rarely rejected contract approvals, which typically underwent extensive scrutiny.

Alison-Madueke recounted a 2014 incident where she uncovered questionable crude oil lifting arrangements linked to businessman Igho Sanomi, which led to attempts to cancel the deal but faced resistance from powerful interests, including then-President Goodluck Jonathan. She disputed claims made by former Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi regarding $20 billion in unaccounted funds, attributing discrepancies to subsidy payments rather than missing revenue.

Alison-Madueke also mentioned facing security threats, including the abduction of family members, and alleged that office pressures from political and business figures hindered due process in oil allocations. She stands trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde and Doy Agama on five counts of bribery, all pleading not guilty.