The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, has said it is
not true that his country offered or encouraged Nigeria’s former
Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is facing major
corruption investigations in Nigeria and the United Kingdom to make his
country her home.
Contrary to reports that the former Minister had arranged to move
to Dominica, Mr. Skerrit said the idea of relocating to Dominica was
never discussed with her, let alone agreed.
Full text of the statement:
There is no truth to the rumour of a former Government Minister
of Nigeria being offered or encouraged by the Prime Minister or
Government of Dominica to make The Commonwealth of Dominica her home.
Prime Minister Skerrit explained that in May of this year,
during a routine stop-over visit to London, Madueke was introduced to
him as the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria and
also immediate past President of OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries. These discussions however took place well before
any question of an investigation by the relevant authorities arose.
Prime Minister, Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit has made clear
that the idea of relocating to Dominica was never discussed, far less
agreed, in any discussions with or on behalf of Diezani Alison Madueke,
the ex-minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, who is now under
investigation by United Kingdom and Nigerian authorities. Indeed, the
Prime Minister said the discussions surrounded her continued residence
in the United Kingdom and ability to travel to Africa in order assist
Dominica. The Prime Minister stated: “The academic and professional
credentials of Mrs. Madueke were impeccable. She had been a senior
government minister since 2007, having served also as Minister of
Transport and Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
Additionally, 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 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. Also, it
must be recalled here that Mrs.
Madueke was educated in the United Kingdom and United States of
America, having studied for her Bachelor's degree at Howard University
in Washington, D.C. and post-graduate studies at Cambridge University in
the UK. So, on the recommendation of a number of outstanding
individuals of note, and after thorough due diligence studies were
undertaken, the Government of Dominica agreed to the appointment of the
former Nigerian Government Minister as Trade and Investment Commissioner
for Dominica, with the specific remit of promoting and marketing the
trade and investment opportunities of Dominica. This was especially the
case considering her obvious contacts following her stint as President
of OPEC. The issue of her relocating to Dominica was never raised in any
of our discussions, because at the time Mrs. Madueke was to my
knowledge in good standing in Nigeria and United Kingdom, having only
just demitted office in Nigeria and established living arrangements in
the United Kingdom.
The arrangement of Mrs. 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 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.
I should add that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs moved with
dispatch to suspend all relations with Mrs. 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. 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.”
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