Abubakar Says No Big Deal Meeting Diezani

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), on Thursday, described those misinterpreting his meetings with Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison- Madueke, as mischief makers.
Abubakar, who chaired the National Peace Committee for the 2015 general election, admitted that in his capacity as peace maker, he had met a lot of ministers and other key stakeholders.
He said there was nothing attached to his meeting with Alison- Madueke.
It was speculated in online media that the minister had been running to the former Head of State to help her talk to Buhari’s aides so that her alleged shady deals would not be looked into.
He said: “I think people are just trying to be mischievous. I have been meeting with a lot of people and a lot of ministers in the course of this transition. So there is nothing strange in my meeting with anybody.
“I wonder if you go through your records to see the number of meetings I have been engaging in, I don’t know why the last one will be a subject of media chat. This is not the first time I have been meeting her and a number of ministers, so I don’t see what the whole hullabalu is all about. People are just being mischievous.”
Incidentally, Deizani drove into the Presidential Villa and headed straight into the President’s office minutes after Abubakar arrived for a meeting with the President.
According to the former Head of State, his frequent meeting with Jonathan and Buhari among others were meant to ensure peaceful and smooth transition.
“As the chairman of the peace committee, there is always interaction between the incoming and President Jonathan, in order to ensure that the peace we clamouring for is sustained.
“So, naturally I’m here to touch base with him and also to give him a report of what the committee has been doing,” he stated.
He denied serving as an emissary between Jonathan and Buhari, even as he commended the roles of the two leaders that had brought about peace in the country.
He continued: “I’m not serving as intermediary. I told you I’m coming here as the chairman of peace committee and naturally we have to interact. I always see Gen. Buhari and I also see the President, all in an effort to make sure that this transition goes on smoothly and we must maintain the peace”.