… as crisis takes a fresh turn
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, on Thursday, reacted to the distress call by the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Joi Nunieh, by going personally to rescue her from the security men she claimed had blocked her from leaving her residence since 4am.
Wike, who arrived Nunieh’s residence at about 10.30am, asked the security men he met on ground who authorised the siege. The armed men reportedly said they acted on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police.
Wike reportedly called Nunieh out of the house and helped her leave the premises. They both rode in Wike’s car, as observers await the dimension of the crisis in the next few hours.
A video of the rescue operation is circulating on social media.
The Point had reported that armed policemen, on Thursday, allegedly stormed the residence of the ex-Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Joy Nunieh,
A report on Arise TV had said the armed men had been at the residence of the embattled ex-NDDC boss in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, since 4am.
She was expected to leave for Abuja to appear before a House of Representatives committee probing the activities of the Commission on Thursday morning.
Nunieh was reported to have made a distress call to one of her close associates in the morning, intimating him of the armed men’s invasion.
Nunieh had told journalists a few days ago that Akpabio had repeatedly pressured her to take “an oath of secrecy” that was meant to keep her from exposing fraud at the Commission, and also claimed that she slappped the minister for sexually harassing her.
She spoke during an interview on Arise TV.
Various revelations have emerged since the beginning of the activities of the Senate ad hoc Panel investigating an alleged mismanagement of N40billion by the interim management committee of the NDDC.
According to her, her reaction to the said harassment, which she said happened at the minister’s guest house in Abuja, showed that Rivers women would not tolerate nonsense.
She said, “Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him in his guest house at Apo? I am the only woman that slapped Akpabio. He thought he could come up on me. He tried to harass me sexually.
“I slapped him. He tried to come on me. I am an Ogoni woman and nobody jokes with us. I showed Akpabio that Rivers women do not tolerate nonsense.”
On shady projects, she said, “Akpabio wrote me to put a list of projects from the refugee commission in the budget of NDDC. Refugee Commission is another Federal Government Commission for IDPs.
“How do you tell me to put some of their projects in the NDDC budget when we have so many things to do in the Niger Delta? How do you explain that?..
“When we first came to the NDDC, on the day of going for the inauguration, he told me in the car that Madam MD, If you don’t do what I say, the same pen which I use to sign your letter, it will be the same pen I will use to remove you.”
Akpabio, who also spoke on Arise TV, a few days ago, described Nunieh as a “disgruntled former MD who does not know that offices come and go.”
On Wednesday, he described her sexual harassment allegations as nauseating.
