Former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has lamented that internet fraudsters or ‘Yahoo Yahoo boys’ as they are called in local parlance, now reinforce negative societal behaviours and values in Nigeria.
Alison-Madueke made her remarks while delivering a lecture at a virtual event on fatherhood and Ijaw women participation in politics.
The event held on Friday, August 7, 2020, with former President Goodluck Jonathan--in whose administration Alison-Madueke served from 2010 to 2015--as one of the guest speakers.
“The ones that have swag, the Yahoo Yahoo boys as my son would say; these in short, are the role models they are looking at. These are the ones that reinforce negative societal norms and values,” Alison-Madueke pontificated.
“This is a travesty of an unfolding tragedy for us. Why have I spent time talking about fatherless homes and the impact it has on our children? The truth of the matter is that an irresponsible boy tends to become an irresponsible man and it is therefore a vicious cycle. If you plant yam, you cannot harvest plantain,” she lectured.
“There are no shortcuts to working your way up the ladder of life. Progressing in life, in work and in relationship, marital or otherwise, is always dependent on consistent effort and on hard work.
"As we create more responsible young men and women, we will generate more responsible fathers, which in turn will engender a more sustainable society and build a greater nation of successful Ijaw men and women.
“And to do this, we need to go back to the fundamentals,” she added.
Alison-Madueke also commended Jonathan for the percentage of women representation in his cabinet during his spell as Nigeria's President.
Of glass houses and stones
Alison-Madueke, 59, fled Nigeria for the U.K as soon as Jonathan lost the 2015 election to Muhammadu Buhari.
Unconfirmed reports say she has been treating cancer in the UK, even though EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) sources believe the cancer stories have been planted in the media to buy her more time as she continues to evade arrest and prosecution for alleged corruption back home.
Several attempts by the EFCC to trigger an extradition treaty with the UK and have Diezani return home for trial have met a brick-wall.
Among other acts of corruption, the former minister has been accused of fraudulent ownership of 76 luxurious properties in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, valued at N23 billion.
14 charges bordering on theft and concealment to the tune of $153 million, have been filed against her by the EFCC.
Raids on some of her homes in Nigeria have revealed gold jewelry and wristwatches worth millions of dollars.
Some of Diezani's alleged accomplices and cronies have been facing trial in Nigeria.
Recent reports say Alison-Madueke lobbied to become Trade and Investment Commissioner of the Dominican Republic after she fled Nigeria, and bagged a diplomatic passport from the island government for her troubles.