Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, 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 control, 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 hands-on ministerial oversight impractical.

She acknowledged that she rarely rejected contract approvals, explaining that recommendations had typically undergone extensive technical and regulatory scrutiny before arriving at her office.

“I was, in many instances, a rubber stamp in the process,” she said.

The former minister also recounted a 2014 episode 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 met resistance from powerful interests, with complaints allegedly escalated to then President Goodluck Jonathan.

Addressing the long-running 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 under her leadership exposed widespread abuse within the system, including multiple claims submitted by some marketers.

She said corrective measures were introduced to curb the irregularities, significantly reducing fraudulent payouts.

Her efforts, she claimed, came at a personal cost.

Alison-Madueke told the court that she faced security threats, including the abduction of family members, which she linked to attempts to confront 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 barring 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 engagements.

Despite the allegations against her, the former minister maintained that her tenure focused on expanding local participation in Nigeria’s oil industry 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. (Daily Trust)

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