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Caribbean country, Dominica, has suspended all relations with Nigeria’s
immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke, following investigations into her finances in the United
Kingdom in October, in connection with alleged money laundering.
A statement by the Prime Minister of Dominica, a small Caribbean Island, Mr Roosevelt Skerrit, stated this on Monday.
The prime
minister said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs moved with dispatch to
suspend all relations with Mrs. Alison-Madueke immediately following her
arrest in October, 2015, pending the outcome of the investigations.
“This
suspension took place in the month of October. Our position is that the
relationship with Mrs. Alison-Madueke and all that flows from this will
remain completely suspended until such time as the probe into her
conduct as a minister of government is concluded and a determination
made by the relevant authorities.”
Skerrit
explained that in May of this year, during a routine stop-over visit to
London, Alison-Madueke was introduced to him as the immediate past
Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria and also the immediate past
President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
He said the discussions, however, took place well before any question of an investigation by the relevant authorities arose.
He said the idea of relocating to Dominica was never discussed, far less agreed, in any discussions with Alison-Madueke.
The prime
minister added, “She served as an Executive Official and Director of
Shell Petroleum Development Company in Nigeria. In my budget address to
the people of Dominica two years ago, I outlined the intention and
policy of my government to recruit persons of experience, influence and
integrity to serve and represent Dominica in various capacities abroad.
“As a
small nation with very limited resources, we do not have the capacity to
establish consular or other offices in many regions of the world. In
this case, who is better to speak for and on behalf of Dominica in parts
of the African continent than a former President of OPEC and former
Chairman of the West African Gas Pipeline Authority?”
According to him, the issue of the former Nigeria’s minister relocating to the Caribbean country was not discussed.
He stated,
“The arrangement of Mrs. Alison-Madueke serving in an honorary
capacity, with no direct remuneration from Dominica and Dominica
facilitating her travels across Europe and Africa with the issuance of a
diplomatic passport, was entirely in accordance with existing
convention, protocol and practice, until the very recent and unexpected
development of the investigations by the UK and Nigerian authorities.
“This
development was not foreseen nor anticipated by the due diligence
undertaken on behalf of the government, and could not have been and was
not foreseen by me or the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.”
The United
Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria could not be reached for comment on
the alleged moves by the former petroleum minister to flee the UK.
The High
Commission’s spokesperson, Joseph Abuku, had yet to respond to an email
sent to him as of the time of filing this report on Monday.
The former minister was reported on Saturday to have obtained the citizenship of the Caribbean country.
She was said to have been offered a post as the country’s trade and investment commissioner.
The report added that no allowance had been offered to her.
According to the report, the former minister would promote trade and investments in Dominica at no cost to the country.
In return,
she would have received all the necessary assistance and protection
from the small Caribbean island in accordance with international law.
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