Minister insists Nunieh was sacked for insurbordination
By Myke Uzendu and Daniel Tyokua
The minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has cost aspersions at the immediate-past Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ms. Joi Nunieh, describing he as “a temperamental woman unable to hold down a husband”.
Responding to the allegations leveled against him by Ms. Nunieh, the minister stted that she was sacked because of insubordination, and believing that she was higher than him, her supervising minister.
Ms Nunieh was removed by Akpabio as the NDDC-MD but retined as a member of the commission’s Interim Management Committee (IMC).
He had last Friday accused Akpabio of corruption, coercing her to take oaths, among other indiscretions and acts of high-handedness.
But, responding to the allegations in an interview on Arise Television, Akpabio said she should “go to the hospital; see a doctor; get some injection and relax.”
Akpabio told the medium: “I am not saying anything is wrong with her. But something is wrong with her temperament. You do not need to ask me. But you ask about four other husbands she married.
“She was not relieved of her appointment because of corruption. But she was relieved of her appointment because of insubordination.
“My ministry that supervised her wrote seven letters to her. She never responded. And then she said she was bigger than the Minister of Niger Delta.”
Akpabio lamented that the NDDC became a place where stakeholders used to make money for elections.
He said that after making the money they never won the elections because it was ill-gotten money.
He said: “Unfortunately, so many that made the money never won elections. They did not win the election because they contested with blood money.
“If the previous Managing-Directors and Chairmen of NDDC used the right contractors or have love for the region, they could have done far better.
“If you do not love your children, you cannot give them the best. If you bring in those who do not love the region, they move their pocket forward instead of moving the region forward. I do not care about any allegation.
“What I care about is that things cannot remain the same again. In less than eight months, we have moved the Managing-Director and other executive directors to the permanent site.
“What has happened in the NDDC is that people go there to steal. If they attempt to steal at the NDDC, then it means there will be no benefit for the people of Niger Delta.
“They are paying N300 million annually as rent in the place they are using as an office in Port Harcourt.
“There was a building started under Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC). Yet, they could not complete it.
“When I was appointed the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, I prayed to God. I asked God to give me the ability to take insults that will come my way. At the same time, I asked God to give me the wisdom to turn around the Niger Delta.
“Of course, I expected all these things coming my way. If you place a seed, that seed must first die before it germinates.
“The NDDC must go through this process before it stands. We must give kudos to the president”.
