NDDC probe: Our daughter must not be harmed, says Rivers govt

The Rivers state government has weighed into the crisis rocking the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

There have been allegations and counter allegations over the national assembly’s probe of the alleged mismanagement of N40 billion by the interim management.

Joy Nunieh, former acting managing director of the commission, had accused Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, of illegalities, including directing her to pad the agency’s budget.

She also alleged that the minister influenced her removal from office because she refused to do his bidding

When she featured on Arise TV on Monday, she also alleged that Akpabio sexually harassed her.

“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,” she had said.

“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.”

In a statement on Thursday, Paul Nsirim, commissioner for information in Rivers, said the state is solidly behind Nunieh.

“The Rivers State Government has viewed with concern, the recent developments at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in which the name of our daughter, Dr. Joi Nunieh, the immediate past Acting Managing Director of the Commission, has been dragged into,” the statement read.

“We hereby call on those involved in the ongoing investigations in the NDDC to ensure that Dr. Joi Nunieh does not suffer any harm in the course of their undertakings.

“We wish to state categorically that the Rivers State Government will never support any action that will prevent or jeopardize the laudable intentions of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to positively reposition the NDDC and fulfill the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.

“However, we wish to state that while we are not interested in identifying with the present unfolding drama in the NDDC, we will not however fail to protect our daughter from actual harm or perceived danger.

“The State owes it as a duty to protect her citizens from danger no matter their political affiliation and we cannot fold our hands and watch anyone harm her or indeed any Rivers citizen.

“We advise those involved in the present altercations in the NDDC to thread with caution in their actions and utterances.”