MRS DIEZANI K. ALISON-MADUEKE: THE FRUIT OF NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE @ 54

Some times ago, more than five decades, tears of joy roll down from the cheeks of Nigerians as a result of their freedom from the colonial masters. There were shouts of joy and victory like in the days of Israelites, when they were liberated from slavery. Songs were composed, books were written and history was made 1st day of October 1960. After two months of our liberation from the ‘Egyptian’ slavery, Nigeria gave birth to a noble baby which I called the Fruit of Independence. On that beautiful day of December 6, 1960, heaven and mother earth met, and a seed germinated in Port Harcourt to the family of His Royal Majesty, late Frederick Abiye and Chief Mrs Beatrice Agama from Bayelsa State Nigeria. The great architect knitted her in her mother’s womb, and she later turned out to be an architect that will help in renewing the face of Nigeria. That memorable day, there was glamorous celebration because a celebrity was born.

Diezani K. Alison-Madueke, after satisfying he preliminary education requirements, studied architecture in England and then at Howard University in the United States. She graduated from Howard with a Bachelor's degree on 8 December 1992. She returned to Nigeria and joined Shell Petroleum Development Corporation that year. In 2002, she attended Cambridge University for her MBA. In April 2006, Shell appointed this academician her first female Executive Director in Nigeria. Since 1999 she has been married to Admiral Alison Madueke (retired), one-time Chief of Naval Staff who was at various times governor of Imo and Anambra States. In September 2011, Diezani Alison-Madueke was awarded an honorary Doctorate award in Management Sciences by the Nigerian Defense Academy, Kaduna. Diezani K. Alison-Madueke has held three significant positions in the Nigerian federal government. 

She was appointed Transport Minister in July 2007. On 23 December 2008, she was named as Minister of Mines and Steel Development. When Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan became acting President in February 2010, he dissolved the cabinet on 17 March 2010, and swore in a new cabinet on 6 April 2010 with Alison-Madueke as Minister for Petroleum Resources till date.

Being the Fruit of Nigeria’s Independence, the history of Nigeria and indeed the world cannot be complete without her especially in the area of women contribution to the development and transformation of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector. As the history of a child cannot be told without the mother and vice versa, the history of Nigeria may be considered erroneous without her. Diezani K. Alison-Madueke is a woman of many parts, evergreen in beauty, courageous in character and focused in life. She is an architect in words, principles and deeds. Her creativity, ingenuity, and foresight have placed her in high pedestal in Nigeria history and beyond. In the drama of life, she has remained an actor and not a spectator. For there are four categories of people in this world according to Mary Kay Ash: 

Those that make things happen, Those who watch things happen, Those who wonder what happen, Those that do not know that things are happening. I can state without mincing words that Diezani K. Alison-Madueke belongs to the group of people that make things happen in Nigeria and in fact the world with her recent election as the world OPEC President. Shakespeare rightly pointed it out that some are born great, some achieve greatness, whereas others have greatness bestowed on them. This can be said of Diezani K. Alison-Madueke. Not only that she was born great as the Fruit of Nigeria’s Independence but, also she has achieved greatness. 

Thus, I call her ‘primus inter pares’ (first among equals) in Nigeria for some many reasons: Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke is the first woman to hold the position of Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, in October 2010; she became the first woman to head a country delegation at the annual OPEC conference. She was also the first female Minister of Transportation, the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria. 

The first female to be awarded with honorary Doctorate Degree award in Management Sciences from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. Diezani Alison-Madueke was the first female to be elected as President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Thursday 27 November, 2014 at the 166th ordinary meeting of the oil body in Vienna, Austria. This feat achieved by the minister was as a result of her contributions in the reform of the Nigeria Oil and Gas sector. More so, great people are ordinary people with extraordinary amount of determination. This great and courageous woman, on working in male-dominated sectors, once admonished some young women she mentored while at Shell to "change their mode of thinking.” According to Boss Africa magazine in terms of service for once country she will always say, “I will never sit on the fence when there are life-changing decisions to make. If you have a passion for change then you should put yourself up for service to your country and to your people.”

 

 She went further to advice women to make their family an abode of love. As rightly noted by Boss Africa Magazine, she said, “I expect every woman to try to make her home a very inviting and comfortable haven for husbands and children to return to daily, no matter what it takes, otherwise their personal success as women won’t be completes.” 

Thus, I implore all Nigerians especially women to blow a leave from the vision and courage of this great icon. As you celebrate your 54th birthday today (the fruit of Nigeria’s Independence), may God in His infinite goodness shower His blessings upon you. Happy birthday to you, the honorable Minister of Petroleum Resources and President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)! May your days be long! We love you! 

Comr. Charles Udeke C.N Charlitex2004@yahoo.com