… as Nunieh’s allegations continue at hearing
The House of Representatives, on Friday, summoned the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, to appear before the Committee investigating the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission in relation to allegations against him by the former Managing Director of the Commission, Joi Nunieh.
The Chairman of the Committee, Tunji-Ojo, representing the All Progressives Congress (Ondo), summoned the minster to appear before the panel on Monday at 11am, in accordance with the resolution of the committee members.
The representatives also called on the Acting Managing Director of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, Kemebradikumo Pondei, to reappear before the committee.
Earlier, Nunieh had, during her appearance in Friday, denied that she was paid 29 per cent of payments to contractors as bribe.
She said she did not collect “one dollar” of the contract sum, stressing that if she was interested in making money, she would not have been going to the building materials market to price materials.
“I did not take N10 from any of the contractors,” she said.
While calling on the President and the Auditor General to do a financial and staff audit of the NDDC, Nunieh also accused Akpabio of monitoring her movement while in government and also initiating gifts to her by NDDC contractors.
She said, “When I was brought in to NDDC, and Senator akpabio saw that I was not cooperating, he refused to give me an official vehicle. I was using two bullet proof cars. One day, a gentleman met me at the airport on my way to Abuja and said he was the one that gave me the car that I was using.
“I called Akpabio and he said the man was a good man. I returned that car. The second one is at the workshop.”
She also alleged that the operatives that invaded her house were sent by Akpabio’s former ADC.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command said on Friday that the Thursday invasion of Nunieh’s home by armed security operatives was done with the approval of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Mukan.
The Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, who disclosed this in a statement in Port Harcourt on Friday, said the operatives were sent from Abuja to effect the arrest of the embattled ex-NDDC boss.
He added that, on arrival, the team registered their presence at the state police headquarters, where they got a go-ahead from the police commissioner.
Omoni stressed that the notion that the policemen were at Nunieh’s residence without the directive of either the CP or the IGP should be disregarded.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who had, on Thursday, rescued Nunieh from the siege, had said that he was told that the state CP was not aware of the invasion.
He said, “I drove to the place and saw over 50 policemen to take a woman as if she is a common criminal… I spoke to CP, CP said he was not aware. Tell me how something will happen in the state and the CP will not be aware. They said it was the IGP’s Monitoring Team, but I have spoken to them and from what I heard, even the IG is not even aware…
“For me, if there is any crime against Dr Joy Nunieh, I will not back her. Some say she is not in my party, so I should not intervene, but she’s a Rivers daughter.”
But the Rivers PPRO said it was wrong for anyone to assume that the police officers that attempted to arrest Nunieh were fake.
He said, “We state that the Officers who were at the residence of the former Ag. MD Joi Nunieh were from the IGP Monitoring Team in Abuja and were here on Official assignment.
“That before they proceeded to her residence, they observed due protocols and requisite standard operating procedures, including going through the processes of arriving themselves at the Headquarters with their Investigation Activities duly signed and approved by the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph G Mukan.
“That they went to her residence with Mobile Policemen, suggesting of course that they were there on official duty and not illegal duty as speculated.
“That, the reference indicating that the Officers were there without the directive of the CP nor the IGP is preposterous and most unfortunate, hence should be discountenanced and disregarded.”
