konga Ad Campaign konga Ad Campaign konga Ad Campaign
ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Saturday, July 2, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
How Alison-Madueke intimidated me to drop reports about her alleged corruption – Columbia Professor, Anya Schiffrin

Photo credit: Haber

How Alison-Madueke intimidated me to drop reports about her alleged corruption – Columbia Professor, Anya Schiffrin

byCletus Ukpong
October 19, 2016
2 min read

When an American journalist and author, Anya Schiffrin, was working on her book, Global Muckraking: 100 Years of Investigative Journalism From Around the World, she thought it was expedient for her to exclude from it an investigative series from Nigeria on alleged corrupt practices of the then petroleum minister in the country, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The book, published in 2014, showcases the outstanding works of investigative journalists in different parts of the world. The series on Mrs. Alison-Madueke was published in 2011 by the rested NEXT newspaper. They were republished last year on PREMIUM TIMES, with permission from NEXT.

Today, Mrs. Schiffrin, who is also a journalism professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, expresses regret for her decision on Mrs. Alison-Madueke, who remains one of the most controversial public officers in Nigeria, since she left office more than a year ago.

Mrs. Schiffrin, 54, said she took the decision because the then minister threatened her with a lawsuit.

“(We) got a series by a terrific, highly respected Nigerian journalist named Musikilu Mojeed saying that a government official, Alison-Madueke, was corrupt,” Mrs. Schiffrin said in an interview with Guernica magazine, last year.

“I Googled (Madueke) and found an article by a British journalist saying that she was working to clean up corruption. So I contacted him and asked, ‘Do you realize that this extremely well-respected Nigerian journalist said (Madueke) is corrupt?’ The British journalist was not at all defensive and said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’

Diezani Alison-Madueke
Diezani Alison-Madueke

“In the meantime, I began asking people I knew in Nigeria. I started getting these very guarded and cryptic emails and messages. I think no one wanted to commit themselves in writing, but they said things like, ‘(Mojeed) is really reliable.’ They didn’t say, ‘That woman is corrupt,’ but rather, ‘The newspaper is reliable.’

“Someone I knew also contacted Madueke’s office. But the next thing that happens is I get a letter from her lawyer (asking not to publish these stories) because they are libelous. Meanwhile, the British journalist got back to me and said he did not stand by his original story anymore.

Mrs. Schiffrin said by the time they had a rethink and decided to include the series on Mrs. Alison-Madueke, there wasn’t any more space in the book. It was a tough call for her, she said.

“Once I got the lawyer’s letter, of course, I regretted the decision not to include the series even more,” she said.

Mr. Mojeed, who is currently PREMIUM TIMES’ Editor-in-Chief, was working with NEXT then, and co-authored the series on Mrs. Alison-Madueke.

The series portrayed Mrs. Alison-Madueke as corruptly enriching herself and her cronies through suspicious, and sometimes secret, multi-million dollars oil deals at the country’s expense.

In one of the reports, the then minister was alleged to have violated Nigerian laws and regulations, and awarded multi-million dollars oil-lifting contracts to ‘briefcase companies’ owned by her U.S-based jeweller, Christopher Aire.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke was arrested late last year in London by the UK National Crimes Agency for offences related to bribery and corruption, but was later released on bail, alongside four other persons arrested with her.

Back home in Nigeria, the former minister has been under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket


CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

EXCLUSIVE: Tiwa Savage speaks on marriage controversy, D’banj, Don Jazzy

Next Post

Supreme Court Judge accuses Amaechi, APC of attempt to manipulate judgement

Cletus Ukpong

Cletus Ukpong

Cletus Ukpong is PREMIUM TIMES' assistant editor in charge of Nigeria's South-South region. He is a graduate of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Twitter: @CletusUkpong

More News

Rams for sale used to illustrate the story.

How Borno govt spent N150 million to buy Sallah rams in violation of state’s laws

July 2, 2022
John Mikel Obi

INTERVIEW: My best Super Eagles coach is a Nigerian – Mikel

July 2, 2022
FILE PHOTO: Organised labour unions protest ny NLC.

Strike: One feared dead as Ogun workers revolt against leaders

July 2, 2022
Nigeria Hails Germany as Joint Declaration on Return of Benin Bronzes' is Signed [PHOTO CREDIT: @FMICNigeria]

Germany to return 1,130 stolen Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

July 1, 2022
Atiku Abubakar, Adamu Waziri and Nyesom Wike

EXCLUSIVE: Wike shuns Atiku’s emissary in Turkey

July 1, 2022
Jude Ise-Idehen

Nigerian lawmaker Jude Ise-Idehen is dead

July 1, 2022
Next Post
Chibuike Amaechi

Supreme Court Judge accuses Amaechi, APC of attempt to manipulate judgement

EFCC Operatives used to illustrate the story.

EFCC seeks cut from recovered loot

Leave Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad




Access Bank Ad







Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,902,581 other subscribers.

Advertisement




netherland biz school Advert



ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • PT Hausa
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.