FORMER Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has told a United Kingdom court that she exercised limited control over the approval of oil contracts during her tenure, insisting that most decisions were concluded before reaching her office.
News Point Nigeria reports that testifying at the Southwark Crown Court, Alison-Madueke explained that contract processes within Nigeria’s oil sector typically passed through multiple agencies before arriving at the minister’s desk.
According to her, the structure of the system meant that the ministry largely played an oversight role rather than a direct operational one.
She stated that the operational authority of the sector rested mainly with the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, adding that the scale and complexity of the petroleum industry made direct ministerial control impractical. She described her role in the approval chain as largely that of a “rubber stamp.”
The former minister further told the court that she rarely rejected contract approvals and did not interfere with decisions that had already been processed within the established system.
Providing further insight into her time in office, Alison-Madueke revealed that in 2014 she uncovered an alleged crude oil lifting arrangement involving multiple companies. She said the arrangement was reportedly linked to businessman Igho Sanomi.
According to her testimony, she took steps to cancel the arrangement after receiving a whistleblower report, but encountered resistance, including complaints that were escalated to then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
She also revisited the controversial $20 billion oil revenue allegation raised by Lamido Sanusi, explaining that the matter was later clarified through audits and legislative reviews. Alison-Madueke maintained that the figures in question were linked to subsidy payments and operational costs, rather than missing funds.
The former minister insisted that she was wrongly portrayed in the media as being involved in financial misconduct, stressing that her actions were often misrepresented.
On fuel subsidy issues, she told the court that investigations during her tenure uncovered widespread abuses, including multiple claims submitted by marketers. She said she reported these findings to the relevant authorities and introduced measures that significantly reduced subsidy claims.
Alison-Madueke further stated that her actions in exposing irregularities subjected her to serious security threats, including the abduction of family members. She also alleged that both political and business figures mounted pressure on her office to secure favourable oil allocations—requests she said she consistently declined.
Addressing questions about her personal finances, the former minister said she relied on Nigerian-issued bank cards for transactions, including during official trips abroad. She noted that public officials were not permitted to operate foreign accounts.
She added that there were occasions when her cards failed to work overseas, forcing others to cover some of her expenses.
The court was also presented with records of her official travels between 2011 and 2015, including correspondence and passport documentation. Alison-Madueke explained that she typically travelled with an entourage of about 30 staff members, including technical aides and protocol officers, noting that all movements were properly documented in ministry diaries and later archived.
On the use of aircraft, she clarified that both private chartered flights and commercial airlines were utilised for official duties, depending on operational requirements.
Reflecting on her tenure, Alison-Madueke said her focus was on expanding local participation in Nigeria’s oil industry and improving transparency within the sector.
She is currently standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde, an oil executive, and Doye Agama, her brother, on a five-count charge bordering on alleged bribery. All defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.