Former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been marred in allegations of corruption for years. These allegations started way back to her time in office and has persisted after her exit. Despite these allegations, she is yet to be found guilty by any court in Nigeria thus making a caricature of the present administration’s fight against corruption.

An Insider with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opined that “The US Department of Justice is doing what the EFCC and ICPC should be doing. It calls to question our faulty approaches to investigating and prosecuting economic crimes. Our anti-corruption agencies need reforms and a new thinking. All those culpable and found wanting by the DOJ must be prosecuted swiftly. Unfortunately, the likely probable reason the current government is not exposing certain aspects of the oil swap deal is because the present occupants are using the same manual and template to exploit the system.”

“We have always known that Diezani was a thief”, said an Insider also with the PDP, he stated that “It is not surprising, even when we were in government; I was one of the first people to call for her arrest and prosecution. We were in government then, way back as 2014. We are not surprised that she looted NNPC with her cronies. That is what you get when you don’t put the right people at the helm of affairs. It is not surprising that she is even unrepentant about it. It is ironic that the people deserve the kind of leaders they get. When people ask politicians to give them money before they vote for them, then indeed they deserve the kind of leaders they get. Anyone who demands money from politicians before they vote deserves to suffer, they don’t deserve good roads or any form of dividend of democracy”

If she stands condemned, the law should be visited on her, said another Insider, “The law has no mercy for anyone,” he concluded.

Diezani’s loot seems intractable, it is even difficult that this could be happening even after our experience with the Abacha loot. It is important that apart from bringing her to face the law, systems should be put in place to make it difficult for anyone to loot public funds with that level of impunity.

“If Diezani is found guilty, she should face the music, it’s that simple…there must be consequences for actions positively or negatively.”

These are members of the Political Insiders (Not all of whom participated in this issue)

Bukola Ogunyemi (NA), Amara Nwakpa (NA), Cheta Nwanze (NA), Seun Onigbinde (NA), Clarence Onyekwere (NA), Babatunde Ajileye (NA), Mark Amaza (NA), Saratu Abiola (NA), Henry Okelue (APC), Prince Deji Adeyanju (NA), John Paul Akinduro (LP), Ebubedike Akabua (NA), Ikemesit Effiong (NA), Saatah Nubari (NA), Chinedu Ekeeke (NA), Abdul Mahmud (NA), Tunji Andrews (NA), Ileowo Kikiowo (APC), Ikenna Okonkwo (NA), Stanley Azuakola (NA), Gbenga Olorunpomi (APC), Rinsola Abiola (APC), Ayobami Oyalowo (APC), Oluseun Odewale (APC), Anthony Ehilebo (PDP), Ohimai Amaize (NA), Bimbo Oke (PDP), Abigail Anaba (NA), Tony ‘Pox’ Iribor (NA), Michael Orodare (LP), Henry Nwazuruahu (PDP), Ojugo ‘Ojay’ Onyelukachukwu (PDP), Viola Okoli (PDP), Ariyo Dare Atoye (PDP), Oraye Franklin (PDP), Lai Labode (NA), Akaebube (APGA), Aziza Uko (NA), Kayode Ajulo (LP)

Editor