Joy Nunieh and Godswill Akpabio
The suspended Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Interim Management Committee, Joi Nunieh, has accused the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswil Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Fielding questions on Arise News this morning (Monday), Ms Nunieh confessed that he once slapped the Minister for attempting to come on her.
She however said, what Akpabio attempted to do could not be regarded as ‘attempted rape’.
President Muhammad Buhari constituted the NDDC Interim Management Committee headed by Ms Nunieh to carry out forensic audit of the commission.
Justifying why she slapped the minister, the former NDDC MD said Akpabio was always scheduling a meeting with her either at his guest house in Apo or in the hotel.
She said when he (Akpabio) could not succeed to sleep with her, the Minister then came up with accusation of insubordination to suspend her from office.
Ms Nunieh says: “When Akpabio saw that I cannot bring out the money, he now tried Plan B, a case of insubordination.
“Why did he not tell the President why I slapped him. Why did he not tell Nigerians the Plan B of insubordination? Why did he not tell Mr President that I slapped him? Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him?
“Why did he take me to guest house in Apo? Why did he not tell Nigerians what insubordination is all about?
“Why did I stop to meet him? He told the Senate committee that I refused to meet him to have meeting. Why didn’t we have our meetings in his office? I told Mr Akpabio that I will not go to any meeting outside his office.
“The last time he came to Port Harcourt, I did not go to Le’Meriden to meet him.
Asked by Tundun Abiola if she really did slap his (Akpabio) face, she said: ” I am the only Ogoni woman, the only Nigerian woman to slap his face. I slapped him because of his Plan B.
“He thought since he couldn’t get me to release the money, he thought that Plan B if he could could come on me, he didn’t know that ‘am a Port Harcourt girl.’
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Seeking further clarification, Dr Reuben Abati, asked, are you accusing Senator Akpabio of attempted rape or sexual harassment, is that what you are saying?
Nunieh responded, “Harrasment sounds better not rape. Yes, I am accusing him. Akpabio is most interested in my love life. Did he want to be my seventh husband?
“That’s why Akpabio told the world that I am temperamental. You know why Akpabio will tell the world that I may temperamental? Because of that incident that I slapped him.
Senator Akpabio had earlier said the events of the last few days at the National Assembly were a clear indication that corruption is fighting back at him.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by Barr. Sogbeye C. ELI, SA, Technical to Head of Women, Youth, Sports & Culture, Niger Delta Development Commission.
Senator Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and one-time Senate Minority Leader, spoke in reaction to allegations levelled against him by Joi Nunieh.
He said he was being vilified for his determination to end the sleaze in the system.
“My decision to reduce the illegal cash flow at the NDDC to corrupt individuals through the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari is the reason for these attacks”, said Akpabio.
The Minister noted that the NDDC had bled for too long in the hands of politicians who reduced it to their cash cow, adding that those who are incensed with him and the Interim Management Committee are fighting back to stop further blocking of the leakages in the system.
He stated, “The NDDC has over the years been enmeshed in a cesspool of corruption and failure to deliver on its core mandate to the people of the Niger Delta region. Consequently, whereas the order by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe her activities in the last 20 years has attracted commendation from key stakeholders in the region, those who are uncomfortable with the reforms are fighting back with everything to destroy or discredit the Honourable Minister and the leadership of the Interim Management Committee led by Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.”
Observing that in the last couple of months, he and the NDDC IMC have come under a barrage of attacks in a fierce fightback by politicians wounded by the forensic audit, he said, “These attacks which manifest in sponsorship of petitions to the National Assembly and media blackmail by politicians who are evidently hurt by the efforts to sanitise the Commission has continued unabated and constitute a huge distraction to the work of the Minister and the NDDC management as directed by the President.”
He however assured that he would not be deterred in his resolve to lead the desired change at the Commission to justify the confidence of President Buhari as well as the support and goodwill of patriotic citizens of the Niger Delta region, noting that “forensic, forensic and forensic alone is the way forward to give the NDDC back to the people for which the agency was created”.
He added on an optimistic note by assuring that with the successful conclusion of the forensic audit of the NDDC, the Commission would in future be free from the profligacy of the past and the Niger Delta itself would no longer be a museum of abandoned projects.
(With additional report by PROMPTNews)