Petroleum Minister In Fresh Trouble Over $1billion Image Laundering Allegation

Posted by admin Latest Politics, National Politics, Oil Politics, Top Stories Monday, May 26th, 2014

Jacob Oyewale
Amidst complaint of inadequate funds to fight Boko Haram by Nigerian Army, the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration is planning to spend $1 billion about N130billion to launder the foreign image of the government.

Jonathan and Dieziani
Spearheaded by the minister of petroleum resources, Deziani Allison Maduake, the government is shopping for an international public relations firm, at the cost of nearly $1 billion dollars, to improve the battered image of the Jonathan’s administration ahead of 2015 general elections.
African Examiner learnt that Alison-Madueke and some other unnamed government officials met with several PR firms in London to finalize the contract for which the the administration is willing to pay the imagemaker over $800 million dollars.
Many Nigerians living abroad have berated Jonathan’s administration for such a dubious move to spend such a whooping sum for foreign firm to launder its already battered image.
They believe that instead of spending such a huge amount, the president and his team should fight corruption, insecurity and create jobs for the teeming youths in the country, believing that if they do these those things, they wont even need to spend a dime to launder Nigeria’s image abroad.
Of particular worry to them is the government’s dubious ineffectiveness in rescuing the over 200 kidnapped Chibok girls, an issue that has now become a global embarrassment not only to the Nigerian government but all Nigerians living abroad.
“How can a government be shopping for PR firm with such a huge sum when majority of Nigerians are living in penury. I’m particularly worried that such move will backfire, if they like let them spend $100 billion for launder their image, it will amount to nothing if the government fails in its primary responsibilities.” One of those who spoke to African Examiner lamented.
Meanwhile, African Examiner gathered this week a powerful delegation from the presidency is due in Washington DC to continue to shop for a big PR firm that will launder the image of Jonathan’s administration.
Recall that that leading figure in the search for the image laundering PR firm, Ms. Alison-Madueke has image problem herself. She is set to face the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives over allegations that she squandered $10 billion in unauthorized private jet charter expenditures and may as well be quizzed over this latest allegation of leading a government powerful delegation to hire an image laundering foreign PR firm for $1 billion.wp_posts