By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Reactions have trailed the claim by Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that an alleged $2.4bn fuel subsidy fraud led to threats against her and the kidnapping of her mother in 2012.
Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) said her mother’s abductors demanded that she resign as finance minister and leave the country in exchange for her mother’s release.
She spoke about the ordeal during an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua on the Leaders programme.
According to her, the investigation began after officials noticed a sharp rise in claims submitted by fuel importers under Nigeria’s subsidy programme.
She said, at the time, Nigeria relied on imported refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand, despite being an oil-producing country. Under the subsidy arrangement, importers received government payments that allowed them to sell petrol at regulated prices, but the amounts being claimed had risen to levels that raised suspicion.
“So I went to the president and said, look, something is going on here. Could we audit the accounts? And he said, yes, go ahead. And we found about $2.4 billion worth of fraud. So we refused to pay,” she said.
She said the decision prompted threats against her, before her mother was abducted.
“I was told that for her to be released, I should resign and leave the country,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala described the five-day ordeal as one of the most painful periods of her life, saying she feared her actions could lead to her mother’s death.
“It was a terrible, terrible five-day ordeal. I think the worst in my life,” she said.
Her mother was held in a forest before escaping one night, she said.
“She was held in the middle of a forest, and one night she escaped. She’s still alive. She’s 96 now,” she said, adding that her mother still becomes distressed whenever the incident is mentioned.
Meanwhile, an opposition presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore has faulted the former minister’s claim, accusing her of failing to unravel those behind the said subsidy fraud.
In a social media post on Sunday, Sowore said instead of revealing individuals and companies behind the said subsidy fraud, the former minister went ahead to write a book, criticising persons with opposing views about her economic policies.
“Which companies and individuals were implicated? Where are the audit findings, investigation reports and records of prosecution?
“Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala went on to publish a book, Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous, in which she portrayed the kidnapping as retaliation for her anti-corruption efforts.
“She also used the book to attack critics, including those of us who publicly challenged her failed economic policies and questioned her record.
“But her book about corruption fighting back provided no evidence of who committed the alleged fraud and what happened to the money”, he queried.
Okonjo-Iweala served as Nigeria’s finance minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan before becoming WTO director-general in March 2021.
Her mother, Kamene Okonjo, was kidnapped from her home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, in December 2012. The incident drew national attention amid concerns about the safety of the finance minister’s family.
