Wale Igbintade
Former Nigerian petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, began her defence yesterday at Southwark Crown Court in London, firmly denying allegations that she abused her office or accepted improper financial advantages.
Testifying before a London jury, the 65-year-old former Shell executive rejected all six counts brought against her under the UK Bribery Act, insisting she neither solicited nor received bribes.
She is accused of accepting financial benefits from oil businessmen, including Kola Aluko, Benedict Peters, Igho Sanomi, and Kevin Okyere, in exchange for favourable treatment in the award of oil contracts.
However, in more than four hours of composed testimony, Alison-Madueke portrayed herself as a reform-minded minister operating within a system where gift-giving and informal logistical support were, according to her, common practice.
Under examination by her counsel, Jonathan Laidlaw KC, she denied any wrongdoing.
“I did not abuse my office at all,” she told the court. “I did not ask, seek or solicit bribes. I always acted in good faith and sought to ensure fairness and balance in decision-making.”
She acknowledged using properties in London made available by associates, including stays at a Gerrards Cross property, known as The Falls in 2011 and a flat on St Edmunds Terrace in St John’s Wood.
She also confirmed that some flight arrangements were funded by associates, including Aluko or Omokore on several occasions, and by Okyere on about five occasions.
However, she insisted that all such expenses were either reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or were part of private logistical arrangements for which she bore no responsibility.
A central pillar of her defence was that the petroleum minister had limited executive authority over contract awards.
“The minister’s role is policy,” she said. “Operational decisions are handled by the NNPC. The minister only signs off after recommendations have been made. The minister is not involved in the decision-making process.”
She described herself as “a rubber stamp,” stating that committees handled approvals while ministerial endorsement was largely formal.
The prosecution, however, maintained that accepting such benefits was inherently corrupt under the law, a claim she strongly disputes.
Alison-Madueke also told the court that Nigerian political and social culture must be understood in context, particularly in relation to hospitality and gift-giving.
“We tend to operate as each other’s keepers,” she said.
She added, “Assistance is expected and extended within professional and social networks. It is not unusual in Nigeria for people in public office to be supported by associates.”
She further explained that, while serving as minister, she often travelled with an entourage and had little separation between official duties and personal life.
She said logistical challenges abroad meant staff sometimes relied on third-party cards and cash arrangements, with reimbursement expected from official sources.
One of the most serious allegations before the court involves a reported £100,000 cash delivery to her London residence in July 2012 by a driver linked to Kola Aluko.
Alison-Madueke told the court she had no knowledge of the cash.
“It was not mine, and I only became aware of it through disclosure in these proceedings,” she said.
She also criticised what she described as weak financial controls within the NNPC’s London operations, saying this contributed to reliance on informal payment methods.
The former minister expressed concern over missing official documents, including ministerial diaries she said would have supported her account of events and reimbursements.
She disputed claims the records were retained by her office staff, insisting they were maintained by designated secretaries and subject to strict official protocols.
Alison-Madueke also said she was under the sustained political pressure ahead of the 2015 elections and had been warned she would be made a scapegoat.
She said copies of key documents she kept were later seized during an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) search of her Abuja residence in 2015.
She added the prolonged investigation and travel restrictions had taken a personal toll, affecting her memory and health.
The court also heard background details of her career.
Born in Port Harcourt in 1960, she studied abroad and later joined Shell, where she rose to become one of the company’s first Nigerian female executive directors.
She said she was later nominated into government in 2007 without prior notice and initially resisted the appointment before eventually accepting.
She described Nigeria’s ministerial system as one of appointment rather than election, with ministers serving under strong executive direction.
Alison-Madueke is expected to continue her testimony when proceedings resume today (Tuesday), followed by cross-examination by the prosecution.
The trial, which has already faced delays, is expected to conclude by the end of May.
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