A former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) interim management committee, Joi Nunieh, has promised to make more revelations about the agency’s corruption.
She said this minute after the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, “rescued” her from her own home, which had been besieged earlier today by armed police officers.
It has been confirmed that the armed police officers surrounded Ms Nunieh’s private residence from 4 a.m. Thursday.
But a video on social media showed the state governor leading a procession to Ms Nunieh ‘s house, and leading her to the government house, Port Harcourt.
Now at the government house, Ms Nunieh alleged that the attack on her house was on the orders of minister Godswill Akpabio of the Niger Delta.
Ms Nunieh was due to testify before a House of Representatives subcommittee over claims of abuse surrounding the organization she once led, but she was blocked by the siege.
The subsequent session that took place ended in an impasse as the new NDDC management walked out on the House panel after laying corruption accusations on the leadership of the panel.
“I think he (Akpabio) wanted to stop me from giving my submission today (at the House of Representatives Committee hearing on NDDC),” Ms Nunieh told reporters.
“He succeeded. But I am sure the House of Representatives would give me another day, and Nigerians will hear more.
“Akpabio can’t kill me. Definitely, he can’t. I am not from Uyo now,” she added. “But why do people think he has the monopoly of violence?”
“The man who (sexually) harassed me is at home. The man who stole money is at home. The man who stole government files is at home. The man who took money is at home. The man who wanted me to take (a fetish) oath is at home. It is a criminal offence, it’s life imprisonment, to take such an oath. To even offer me an oath is liable,” the former NDDC MD said.
When reached, Mr Akpabio’s aide, Anietie Ekong, said “Don’t you think the police would be in a better position to explain why they wanted her?”
The state police spokesperson, Omoni Nnamdi, claimed ignorance of the siege.
Both Ms Nunieh and Mr Akpabio have been dishing out corruption allegations and counter-allegation recently against each other.
Ms Nunieh, on the one hand, has accused Mr Akpabio of corruption, sexual assault, offering her bribe and attempting to make her take a secret oath in Abuja.
On his part, Mr Akpabio denounced the assertion, saying Ms Nunieh is temperamental and corrupt.
The Niger Delta Development Commission, whose mandate to develop the oil-rich region has been sluggish for two decades of existence, is at the center of the controversy, largely due to corruption among the Agency officials.
After Akwaga Enyia ‘s removal in October 2019, Ms Nunieh served as the commission’s head, but she was sacked four months later as the crisis rocking the commission over the misuse of funds continued to mount.
It is generally suspected that Mr Akpabio was instrumental in removing Ms Nunieh.