“Dezeani Alison-Madueke’s does not own a 20m Euro Vienna Mansion” - NNPC

Source: pointblanknews.com

advertisement
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Levi Ajuonuma on Friday refuted allegation in some online news media and national dailies that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke purchased a 20m euro mansion at an undisclosed location in the Austrian capital of Vienna. In a chat with Journalists in Abuja on Friday, the NNPC spokesman noted that no right thinking news medium would fall for such cheap and unsubstantiated rumour peddling.

As professionals, we know that comment is free but facts are sacred. Now if you are saying in this age and time that somebody bought a 20m euro mansion in a very conservative city like Vienna, then you must be able to produce the picture of the so called mansion, the transfer wire number for the said purchase, as well as other details of the transaction. 20m euro is no small money anywhere in the world,'' Ajuonuma stated.

He recalled that a similar unsubstantiated story was culled from the Jakarta Post and spread by the online news media in September accusing the NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources of planning to invest in a multibillion-naira refinery project inIndonesia.

"Interestingly when the Jakarta Post retracted their phantom story and apologised on front page to the NNPC for the fake story, the online media never bothered to publish same because they are usually not interested in facts," he said. He implored newspaper editors and gate keepers to fact- check news stories from foreign tabloids and online media in good time for publication. 

Ajuonuma assured that the Minister of Petroleum Resources is not perturbed by such publications, noting that the focus now is on ensuring the full activation of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's administration Transformation Agenda in the oil and gas industry.