The New Nigerian Hushmummy

“Those living in glass houses should not throw stones”

This cannot be a more relevant aphorism than at this point in time. But then again, the word “should” itself denotes a suggestion. Diezani Alison-Madueke has blatantly refused to sit still and reflect on her many transgressions that she is yet to pay for. She has in fact upset the deep-seated anger and hatred against her by many Nigerians. Several Nigerian social media users have taken to their various platforms to bash the former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources for casting aspersion upon Nigerian youth, who she claims now seek to be like internet fraudsters otherwise referred to as “Yahoo boys”.

Diezani Alison-Madueke made the statement while speaking at a virtual event organized by the Ijaw National Development Group.

According to her, “…Many of our boys are growing up without a central male figure that they can look up to, that they can bond with and that they can emulate. So inevitably, they are forced to look outside the home for a substitute role model. And nine times out of ten, because of their age and vulnerability and their circumstance, that substitute role model that they turn to will be the wrong one.”

She goes on to emphatically posit that, “The ones that have swag, the Yahoo Yahoo boys as my son would say. These in short are the role models that they are looking at. These are the ones that reinforce negative societal behaviors and values. This is a travesty of an unfolding tragedy for us.”

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Many Nigerians have therefore wondered at the very ironic stance of her statement as Alison-Madueke does not seem to have done very much to reinforce positive social behaviors and values.

It may be recalled that on the seventh of July 2020, Jude Egbas of Pulse Nigeria reported that Madueke “…lobbied for a diplomatic passport and got one.” This, therefore, makes her immune to arrest. “Diezani who is still on trial for corruption back home in Nigeria lobbied to become Trade and Investment Commissioner of the Dominican Republic and bagged a diplomatic passport from the island government to boot.”

The report goes on to state that, “The lobby actually worked. In a letter dated May 29, 2015, and signed by Prime Minister Roosevelt Kerry, Diezani was offered not only the citizenship of Dominica, a Caribbean Island but also an appointment as Trade and Investment Commissioner.”

Egbas further reports that “She is strengthened by a diplomatic shield which no law enforcement agency around the world can ignore. Besides, her British citizenship is another protective hedge she has been using against repatriation to Nigeria, to answer overwhelming charges of corruption against her.”

According to another report by the Nigerian Guardian, “Diezani who is currently facing allegations of bribery and money laundering in London and Nigeria highlighted the importance of mentorship for young people, saying only hard work could guarantee success.

Although the long-running British probe into Diezani has yet to yield any charges, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has pending corruption charges against her.

Some of the properties linked to her have been forfeited to the Nigerian government while the recently Suspended EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu in February said she allegedly stole so much money that she needed to be extradited to the country to return them all.”

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On Twitter, Diezani Alison-Madueke (who has earned herself a new name Hush Mummy, which is an aberration of the alias of the popular alleged internet fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, widely known as Hushpuppi, who was recently arrested for allegations concerning fraud), was lashed at by many aggrieved Nigerians.

One such Twitter user tweets that,

“#Hushmummy, another fugitive, criticized YAHOO YAHOO Boys.

The audacity, boldness, and temerity. Because there are no serious consequences for looting the Nigerian treasury.” Another does not understand why the speech that Madueke gives has to be read out when such matters she has chosen to address as passionate as they are should be spoken directly from the heart. The user goes on to realize that “…She doesn’t have it (a heart)…”

Yet another user states how Alison-Madueke’s own category of fraud is termed “white-collar yahoo yahoo” which is the reason why she has remained in exile and has blatantly refused to return home to dance to the music being played for her, instigated by the wrongs she has done.

Against the backdrop of Alison-Madueke’s many crimes which she has not yet been brought to book for, it is an irony that she has developed a sudden sense of responsibility to teach the Nigerian youth as well as the Nigerian parent about the need to discard “…negative societal behaviors and values…”, herself being one of the matrons of societal devaluation and decadence. Some other users wonder if the nation is approaching a season where the citizens would be subjected to pieces of advice against crime from criminal henchmen themselves.

Conflicting opinions ensued between two users on the platform. While one opines that, “My father always said: ‘If a person so good and dear to you gives you bad advice, keep your person and throw the advice away.’

Now, I’ll turn it around: ‘If a supposedly bad person gives you good advice, take the advice and throw the person away.’  #Hushmummy #Yahoo”

But the other disagrees by asking,

“How can you tell me to take the message and leave the messenger… If a dirty man serves your food with his irritating hands, will you accept and eat comfortably?? #Hushmummy”

While clips from her speech during the virtual event with the Ijaw National Development Group have spread across the internet, Nigerians are shocked that she is of the opinion that, “there are no shortcuts to working your way up the ladder of life”, which greatly contradicts the allegations against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that she lobbied her way into the Dominican State as well as its cabinet.

Still, it should be noted that Alison-Madueke spoke the way she did because she was given the platform to do so. Nobody should blame her for what she said. Rather those who gave her the place to stand to make such odious remarks should be called out. Furthermore, if the Ijaw National Development Group does not have credible persons to invite to such fora in the future, they should abstain from organizing any.

I believe that there must be some persons who are praiseworthy in the Ijaw nation. Hence, advanced fraudsters or hush mummies like Alison-Madueke should be left where they belong in the dustbin of history rather than brought to the limelight to insult the collective integrity of the Nigerian State; the Ijaw nation being only a part.

All the same, no thief is good whether they are called Yahoo boys and even girls, embezzlers, fraudsters, scammers, hush mummies, hush daddies, hush puppies or hush people generally. We all have a responsibility to live right. Thus, we should endeavor to do so.

Conclusively, if Alison-Madueke believes that she is an upright person, she should drop her diplomatic immunity, come to Nigeria and prove her accusers wrong by standing trial, get acquitted in court, and walk freely, rather than hide under diplomatic immunity.