Ex-NDDC Boss Finally Testifies Before Reps Panel

Joi Nunieh, former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has testified before the house of representatives committee on NDDC.

Nunieh was meant to testify on Thursday before the committee but some police officers prevented her from leaving her residence in Rivers state.

It took the intervention of Nyesom Wike, Rivers governor, to get her out of the siege.

The house committee is probing alleged mismanagement of funds by the current interim management committee (IMC) of the NDDC.

Nunieh had said the blockade at her residence was attempt to prevent her from testifying before the panel.

The former NDDC managing director had accused Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, of fraud and of sexually harassing her.

“Nobody makes any payment in NDDC without Godswill Akpabio…. 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,” she had said after appearing before a senate panel.

“He said the first thing I should do when I get to Port-Harcourt is to change the dollars in the NDDC account. I was scared to do that.”

But Akpabio told the senate panel that he had no knowledge of what was going on in the commission under Nunieh because he could not reach her.

The senate ad hoc panel is drawing up its report after an investigative public hearing on allegations that the current interim management mismanaged N40 billion.

The house also is looking into some alleged financial infractions in the commission. The lower legislative chamber began its investigative hearing on Wednesday.