by Musa Abdullahi
A former military Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.), on Thursday led the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to a closed-door meeting to beg President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sources tell NewsWireNGR that the President had refused to see the one time powerful minsters in his cabinet, shortly after conceding defeat, Mrs Madueke was at the Villa to meet the President over the outcome of the Elections but was turned back.
“The President on hearing it was the Petroleum Minister that was visiting, basically screamed at the security agencies not to allow her in, to everyones surprise, this is one minister you don’t turn away her visits at the Villa”, the anonymous source at the Presidency said.
Diezani had been in the news lately when she suddenly disappeared from the public and was rumoured to have travelled abroad for undisclosed reason. “After the shocker she got from President Jonathan, it led to her trip abroad, some her aides says the BCA Reports on her seeking asylum was actually correct seeing as Jonathan was no longer on her side”.
An online media ran the report that she had gone in search of asylum but that so far six countries had denied her such request.
The NNPC however refuted the claim. It said in a statement Wednesday that the minister had travelled abroad to rest and would be back this week.
Reports say that the oil minister has been ‘restless’ since General Muhammadu Buhari defeated President Jonathan in the general election and is billed to take office on May 29, but more importantly, she’s been confused why President Jonathan doesn’t want to see her.
A photograph of the minister during her visit to Abdulsalami’s house in Minna recently went viral on the social media.
It was alleged that she went to seek for his intervention, after Jonathan asked he didn’t want to see her only days after the Presidential elections.
Another close aide of the current administration of President Jonathan tells NewsWireNGR on condition that his name is not mentioned that “Diezani contributed to the failure of Jonathan during the elections, her arrogance with almost everyone that matters didn’t help”.
“While other ministers were trying to mend fences to see that the President is in the good books of those aggrieved with the administration, the Petroleum Minister created a ‘god complex’ around herself”.
The source narrates to us what really transpired, he said Diezani is one of those that caused the final face-off between Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to our sources, “Obasanjo had sent the former NNPC GMD, Funsho Kupolokun, to her office for a meeting, she did not only keep the man waiting for more than four hours, she went on to ask her aides to send him out that she’s too busy”.
According to our insiders account, that action angered the former President who then called Jonathan to express his displeasure at the way his Funsho was treated by one of his ministers.
“I can go on and on to name the atrocities Diezani committed, at some point she saw herself as the President of Nigeria, if you read Obasanjo’s book my watch, he stated it clearly. he added.
Alison-Madueke arrived the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last night for the meeting to beg Mr President, about three minutes after Abubakar made his way into the President’s office.
Less than 30 minutes after both of them entered the President’s office, Abubakar emerged, leaving Alison-Madueke behind.
“Sources insists that if Abdulsalami hadn’t carried her along to the Presidential Villa, there is possibly no way President would have want to set his eyes on her again”.
Another member of the ruling PDP when questioned about the role of the Petroleum Minister noted, “Diezani did not release money for anything, she kept if for herself, even money that is normally taken from leakages to fund campaigns, she allowed the party to go on without funds”.
“If you noticed even up until when the elections where postponed, PDP cordinators weren’t having money to fund states to run the President’s campaign, she ignores everyone including the National chairman”.
Although, when State House correspondents asked the former Head of State for the purpose of his visit, the former military leader said it was in continuation of his job as the chairman of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections.
“As the chairman of the peace committee, there is always interaction between the incoming president and President Jonathan, in order to ensure that the peace we have been able to get is sustained.
“So naturally, I am here to touch base with him and also to give him a report of what the committee has been doing,” he said.
When confronted with the issue of his recent meeting with the minister and the fact that they entered the President’s office almost the same time, Abubakar said those reading meanings into the visit were just being mischievous.
He said he had met many times with Alison-Madueke and other ministers, wondering why the latest meeting became an issue.
He said, “I think people are just trying to be mischievous, I have been meeting with a lot of people and a lot of ministers in the course of this transition. So there is nothing strange in me meeting with anybody.
Abubakar said he had continued to meet Jonathan and the President-elect for the transition to go on smoothly and maintain the peace.
On what will become of her after Jonathan, another member of the ruling party said, “She has started talking to the APC to refund some of the money, before the elections, she had spoken to Bukola Saraki and now Abdulsalami is her mediator but i doubt President Jonathan will be defending her from the next administration.
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