2. The
Madueke family is appalled at the ongoing media frenzy against Mrs.
Diezani Alison-Madueke by a section of the mass media following an
invitation to her by the British authorities last Friday for reasons
which have yet to be disclosed. For the avoidance of doubt, the family
would like to state categorically that it has no issues with any persons
from the family being invited anywhere in the world to answer questions
about their private or official conduct. The Madueke family believes in
law and order, honour and due process.
3. However,
it is clear that here is a deliberate and vicious campaign to demonise
members of the Madueke family, with all manner of frivolous
allegations. For example, an online news media gleefully published that
Mr. Ugonna Madueke “owns at least three properties in the United
States.” It even called the properties “POSH” and went on to state the
addresses. THEY LIED.
4. Mr.
Ugonna Madueke has NO PROPERTY ANY WHERE in the United States and has
NEVER OWNED ONE. The USA is a country which runs on transparency,
accountability and technology. A little honest effort by the online news
media would have provided in a few minutes the true ownership of the
properties at issue.
5. For
historical accuracy, the Madueke family avers without any fear of
contradiction that 11711 Scooter Lane (a three bedroom town house) in
Fairfax, Virginia, was acquired by the Madueke family in 1997 when
Ugonna was only 10 years old. Ugonna’s siblings lived in this property
while attending George Mason University in Virginia, USA. Records
available to the appropriate authorities in the United States can also
show that 13116 Silver Maple Court in Bowie, Maryland, USA belongs to an
uncle of the Madueke siblings and was purchased in 1995 when Ugonna was
only 8 years old. As a student of the University of Maryland in 2002,
Ugonna stayed with his uncle at the said address. All of this was before
Mrs. Diezani was appointed to government office. No Madueke or a
distant relation has anything to do with the ownership of No. 4227
Summit Manor Court in Virginia.
6. It
is evident that what the online news media did was to turn on an
internet search engine and maliciously reported that every property
where Ugonna Madueke has ever lived in the United States or used as his
address must belong to him. The description of the properties as POSH
was the icing on the propaganda cake. This is not only unprofessional,
as it offends the tenets of journalism, it is clearly not in resonance
with good conscience.
7. The
online news media also reported that Ugonna and his cousins registered a
company by name Hadley Petroleum Solutions Limited which they have been
using to deal in Nigerian crude oil sales. As young men bubbling with
enthusiasm and fantasy, they registered a company but after two years of
no jobs, the company folded up. The company never had a bank account,
let alone being a trader of Nigeria’s crude oil. They lied.
8. The
online news media took its campaign to the in-laws of the Maduekes. It
claimed that Mrs. Beatrice Agama, the 81 year old mother of Mrs. Diezani
Madueke, owns a house in the United Kingdom. A LIE! Mrs. Agama has no
house or property in the United Kingdom. She has been staying in a
rented two-bedroom flat from where she is receiving medical attention
for a broken femur. Her son, Timi Agama who has been living in the UK
for decades, used to have a house in the UK long before his sister was
appointed to government and he sold it long ago. Since then, he has no
house in the UK. Archbishop Doye Agama of the Apostolic Pastoral
Congress in Manchester, who is in his 60s, is a successful professional
and consultant well known amongst his peers, but he does not own Unit 8
Quebec Building in Manchester which the online newspaper ascribed to
him.
9. As
though to outdo the sensational allegations in the online publication,
the mainstream media in Nigeria has been alleging that Mrs. Diezani
attempted to purchase a property on Hyde Park Street in London for a
whooping amount which embarrassingly ranges from 12.5 million sterling
pounds to 13 billion sterling pounds. This claim is utterly false and
laughable, for the amounts mentioned are only in the imagination of the
reporters. This property is quite popular. It belongs to a well-known
eminently successful Nigerian entrepreneur who would also find this
allegation embarrassing as the intention to sell the property has
neither been contemplated nor disclosed to any person.
10.
It
is worthy to note that despite all the frenzy over Mrs. Diezani
Madueke, not even one reporter or journalist has tried to contact the
family to verify any of the rumors they have published with reckless
abandon. This may be because they know the stories are false but it
feeds the mood of the moment. Hence, the silence from Diezani all along.
It is worth emphasising that Mrs Alison-Madueke was never arrested or
detained and her passport was never seized. She was merely invited, and
she honoured it promptly.
11. The
Madueke family, like most other families, have their own challenges.
For instance, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has been receiving treatment
for cancer in the UK which started while she was in office. The health
crisis has unfortunately exacerbated in recent times. She completed
months of chemotherapy just last week and she is scheduled to undergo
surgery next week in London. The family has been bearing this challenge
with prayers and as much grace and fortitude as possible; and would
plead with all reasonable Nigerians to pray for her recovery so that she
can face this allegation and give account of her stewardship. Yes, she
can—and very well, too.
12. The
Madueke and Agama families would want the decent public to know that
neither Ugonna nor Somze or Abiye or anyone related to the two families
was picked up or arrested or invited for questioning by anybody
whatsoever. Ugonna’s father (the Rear Admiral) has been in Lagos and
working in his office. The lies about his having travelled with a team
of lawyers should please stop. The Madueke family has taken a decision
on how to appropriately deal with those who are on a mission to soil
their hard earned family name.
Signed for and on behalf of the Madueke and Agama families.
Barrister Oscar M. Onwudiwe.
Legal Attorney
0814 939 9319.
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