Following the ongoing investigation on the alleged illegal expenditure and mismanagement by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Joy Nunieh, the former acting Managing Director of the commission is currently testifying before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC.
Drama has trailed some authorities in the commission since the beginning of the investigation and got more intense on Thursday, July 16 when a stampede of policemen invaded the Port Harcourt residence of Nunieh.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who prevented the police from taking Nunieh away, had asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to probe the invasion of the former NDDC boss.
It was alleged that the invasion was to prevent Nunieh from moving from Port Harcourt to Abuja to testify before the panel.
In Abuja, top officials of the NDDC, who appeared before the committee had walked out of the venue of the sitting after insisting that the panel Chairman, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, must step down.
This medium had reported on Thursday, June 16 that atleast 30 armed policemen had laid a siege to block Joy Nunieh, former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), from leaving her house in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the airport.
A source who mentioned that Nunieh was due to appear before Senate committee on NDDC in Abuja this morning said, “Nunieh just called me now. The police have taken over her house since 4:00am in Port Harcourt. She is expected to testify before the House of Reps today.
”With a noticeable distress in her voice, she alleged the police broke into her premises and she expected they would take her away soon,”
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and Nunieh had last week appeared before a Senate ad hoc panel investigating the alleged mismanagement of N40bn by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.
At the hearing, Akpabio said he did not know the expenditure of the NDDC under Nunieh because she refused to give him briefings.
But Nunieh, who made damning allegations against Akpabio, said the minister engineered her removal for failing to dance to his tunes.
She alleged that Akpabio asked her to change the dollars in the NDDC account; sack the head of the legal team, who is from the North; remove all directors, who refused to follow his instructions and also implicate Peter Nwaoboshi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC.
According to Nunieh, Akpabio warned that if she did not follow his instructions, she would be removed.
She also alleged that Akpabio would never sign any document but rather ask his subordinates to commit fraud.
She said the minister asked her to take an oath of secrecy to stop her from exposing any of his dealings but she refused.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has since rushed to the Nunieh’s residence following the stampede of armed policemen in the compound.
The armed security operatives besieged the residence of Nunieh on a day she was billed to travel to Abuja to testify before an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives investigating the alleged malfeasance in the NDDC.
The armed policemen, who reportedly came in dozens as early as 4am on Thursday, were said to have surrounded the house attempting to gain entrance into the main building.
A source said the policemen banged the gate repeatedly and later forced it open but could not enter inside the house where Nunieh took refuge.
Nunieh confirmed that armed security operatives were in her premises located at 3, Owuru Creek view, off Herbert Macaulay Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, on Thursday.
Wike, who had earlier signalled against harm coming the way of Nunieh, moved in to monitor the development.
Government House sources from the confirmed that the governor was at the residence but failed to disclose the actions he took when he arrived the area.
