A new documentary titled *Is it Your Money? The Story of Diezani Alison-Madueke* is set to premiere later this year, directed by Nigerian TV host Chude Jideonwo. The documentary explores the life and controversies surrounding Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, who has faced numerous corruption allegations.
### Key Points About the Documentary:
– **Title**: *Is it Your Money? The Story of Diezani Alison-Madueke*
– **Director**: Chude Jideonwo
– **Premiere**: Later this year
– **Scale**: Jideonwo described it as the “biggest-budget docu-series from our dear country,” involving over 100 team members and filmed across three countries and eight cities. The project has exclusive access to investigators from the FBI, the MET Police, and the EFCC.
### Background on Diezani Alison-Madueke:
– **First Female Minister of Petroleum Resources**: Appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2010.
– **Historic Roles**: She was also the first woman to head a delegation at the OPEC conference and served as the first female Minister of Transportation. Additionally, she was the first woman appointed to the Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria board and was elected the first female president of OPEC in November 2014.
### Allegations and Legal Issues:
– **Corruption Allegations**: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused her of living a luxurious lifestyle funded by corrupt activities.
– **UK Investigations**: The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) charged her with multiple counts of corruption. Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit, stated that Alison-Madueke allegedly abused her power to accept financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts. She has been accused of benefiting from significant sums of money, luxury vehicles, private jet flights, luxury holidays, and the use of multiple London properties.
– **Court Appearances**: In October 2023, she appeared before the Westminster Magistrates Court in the UK on bribery charges and was granted £70,000 bail.
### Production Team:
– **Co-Producers**: Judith Audu, Eromo Egbejule, Chude Jideonwo
– **Executive Producers**: Chude Jideonwo, Mfon Ekpo, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Capital Film Productions
This documentary aims to shed light on the controversial tenure of Diezani Alison-Madueke, delving into the corruption allegations and their implications on Nigeria and beyond.