In a call for fairness and an orderly conclusion to ongoing legal proceedings, the traditional rulers and kinsmen of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, have urged authorities to uphold the rule of law in what they described as delayed justice concerning their daughter.
The group, under the auspices of the Concerned Traditional Rulers of Atissa Clan, made the appeal during a media briefing in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. They declared their total support for the former minister, stressing that justice delayed for over a decade without a conclusive outcome amounts to an injustice.
Speaking on behalf of the group, HRH Ovie Omeleh, Paramount Ruler of Yenaka, noted that the former oil minister has reportedly been under investigation in the United Kingdom for more than ten years, yet has not been convicted of any crime by any court of law in Nigeria or abroad. He said it is time for the prolonged legal uncertainty to come to an end.
“We demand a fair and orderly conclusion to this ten-year chapter. For more than a decade, our daughter has lived under the weight of protracted legal battles. A decade of international and domestic investigations has passed, yet one central fact remains: Chief (Mrs) Diezani Alison-Madueke has not been convicted of any crime in any court of law, either in Nigeria or in some of the world’s most powerful nations,” he said.
He added, “Chief (Mrs) Diezani Alison-Madueke remains a cherished member of our royal lineage and a symbol of dignity for both the individual and the community she represents. She is a vital pillar of the Atissa Kingdom. We call for a resolution that returns the narrative to the truth of her contributions to her state and the nation. The Atissa people are patient, but we are also just, and we will continue to stand by our daughter in the pursuit of justice.”
