Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, has told a United Kingdom court that her role in approving oil contracts during her time in office was largely procedural, insisting that key decisions were made before documents reached her desk.
Testifying before the Southwark Crown Court in London, Alison-Madueke said the structure of Nigeria’s oil industry limited her direct influence, with operational authority largely exercised by the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“The system was already in motion before files came to me,” she told the court, noting that the scale and complexity of the petroleum sector made direct ministerial oversight difficult.
She acknowledged that she seldom rejected contract approvals, explaining that recommendations usually underwent extensive technical and regulatory review before getting to her office.
“I was, in many instances, a rubber stamp in the process,” she said.
The former minister also recounted a 2014 incident in which she said she uncovered a questionable crude oil lifting arrangement allegedly linked to businessman Igho Sanomi. According to her, the discovery followed a whistleblower report, prompting her to initiate steps to cancel the deal.
However, she said the move was resisted by powerful interests, with complaints allegedly taken to then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Addressing the long-standing controversy over alleged missing oil revenues, Alison-Madueke disputed claims made by former Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi that $20 billion could not be accounted for.
“There were no missing funds as widely reported,” she said, adding that subsequent audits and legislative reviews attributed the figures to subsidy payments and operational costs rather than unaccounted revenue.
On fuel subsidy payments, she admitted that investigations during her tenure uncovered widespread abuse within the system, including multiple claims by some marketers.
She said reforms were introduced to curb the irregularities, significantly reducing fraudulent payouts.
Her actions, she claimed, came with personal risks.
Alison-Madueke told the court that she faced security threats, including the abduction of family members, which she linked to her attempts to challenge entrenched interests in the sector.
She further alleged that her office was frequently pressured by political and business figures seeking preferential access to oil allocations.
“I declined requests that did not follow due process,” she said.
Responding to questions about her finances, the former minister said she relied on Nigerian-issued bank cards for transactions, including during official trips abroad, in line with regulations that bar public officials from operating foreign accounts.
She added that there were instances when the cards failed overseas, requiring others to temporarily cover expenses.
The court also reviewed records of her official travels between 2011 and 2015, including passport documentation and correspondence.
Alison-Madueke said she typically travelled with an entourage of about 30 officials, comprising technical aides, security personnel, and protocol officers.
“All movements were documented and archived in ministry records,” she said, adding that both commercial and chartered flights were used depending on the nature of official duties.
Despite the allegations against her, the former minister maintained that her tenure focused on expanding local participation in Nigeria’s oil sector and improving transparency, insisting she had been unfairly portrayed in the media.
Alison-Madueke is standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde and Doye Agama on a five-count charge bordering on bribery.
All defendants have pleaded not guilty, with proceedings ongoing at the London court.
