A former military Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.) has said
those reading meanings into the visit of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to my house were just being mischievous.
The former military head of state stated this on Thursday while he led the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
It will be recalled that a photograph of the minister during a visit to the former military leader’s Minna residence went viral on the Internet recently with many people insinuating that she must be reaching out to Abubakar to avoid probe by the incoming administration of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
While fielding questions from State House correspondents, the essence of his visit with the minister to the president, the former military leader said it was in continuation of his job as the chairman of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections.
“As the chairman of the peace committee, there is always interaction between the incoming president and President Jonathan, in order to ensure that the peace we have been able to get is sustained.
“So naturally, I am here to touch base with him and also to give him a report of what the committee has been doing,” he said.
Reacting to insinuation about the minister visit to his house, he said he had met many times with Alison-Madueke and other ministers, wondering why the latest meeting became an issue.
He said, “I think people are just trying to be mischievous, I have been meeting with a lot of people and a lot of ministers in the course of this transition. So there is nothing strange in me meeting with anybody.
“I wonder if you go through your records to see the number of meetings I have been engaging in. I don’t know why the last one will be a subject of media chat.
“This is not the first time I have been meeting her (Alison-Madueke) and a number of ministers, so I don’t see what the whole hullabaloo is all about. People are just being mischievous.”
