Withdrawal of $1.3b from NNPC accounts: Hold Jonathan responsible – Diezani

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Alison-Madueke, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission not to look in her direction over the withdrawal of $1.3 billion from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Alison-Madueke said the EFCC should rather look in the direction of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who gave approval for the disbursement of the fund.
She said as someone who operated under the law, she was bound to obey the directive of Jonathan.
Alison-Madueke, who was reacting to a story on the withdrawal of the money from the NNPC account, stated these in a statement by her Media Adviser, Clem Aguiyi.
The fund, according to the statement, was requested for by Security/Intelligence agencies in Nigeria.
The statement said: “Under Section 5 of the Constitution all executive powers are vested in the President who may exercise it directly or through the Vice President or Ministers of the Federation. As Minister for Petroleum Resources Mrs. Alison-Madueke contended she was an appointee and delegate of the President.
“Consequently, on the issue in question the Minister of Petroleum Resources acted on the basis of the written approvals and directives given by the President, which approvals were given after written requests from the relevant security agencies were made to the President.
“At such instances, as in fact the article clearly shows, a Service Chief or Intelligence Chief, makes a written request/appeal to Mr President outlining whatever urgent and critical security needs of the Nation they consider imminently paramount, at any given point in time.
“If such a request received the approval of the President, the President may direct that the requested funds be drawn from a Security Budget maintained by NNPC, or that the funds be sourced from elsewhere. Where the President directs the Minister of Petroleum Resources, in writing, to make the payment from the NNPC, the Minister in turn, directs the GMD NNPC in writing to execute the directive of the President. NNPC then wires the funds from one of its major foreign bank accounts, or from the CBN, directly to the stipulated account of the particular branch of the armed services, or intelligence unit, or department, that initiated the request. It is not within the power or discretion of any Minister to question, flout or disregard the written directives of the President. including that of the incumbent President.”
The former Minister of Petroleum Resources in the statement stated that at no time did she or could she as the Minister of Petroleum Resources interfere with this process.
The statement added: “It is therefore, impossible and implausible, for any monies under such presidential directives to be diverted during the process, at least from the standpoint of the Minister. Any and all amounts approved and directed by Mr. President to be paid, were executed exclusively by NNPC, directly from NNPC’s foreign and or, Central Bank of Nigeria accounts, to the stated recipients.
“Therefore, let it be very clear, that all funds disbursed by these banking institutions on behalf of NNPC are easily and openly traceable, and the process cannot and should not be utilized for the distortion of facts, vendetta or political mischief.”