NDDC Probe: Akpabio Gets Monday Date With Lawmakers

• As Joi Nunieh drops damning accusations

BY EDMOND ODOK – With the corruption allegations raising dust in unimaginable proportion at the ongoing probe into the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)’s activities, the House Committee on the Commission has now summoned Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to appear before it on Monday, July 20, 2020

The Committee issued the summons after the Commission’s former acting Managing Director, Dr Joy Nunieh, made damning allegations against him, while giving her testimony to the lawmakers through the Zoom virtual platform on Friday, July 17, 2020

Nunieh pointedly accused the Minister of complicity in the huge corruption that is bedevilling the administration of NDDC by the Interim Management Committee.

The NDDC’s probe got messier on Thursday with the police invading the Port Harcourt residence of Nunieh, even as speculations were rife that the action was to stop her from appearing and testifying before the House Committee in Abuja

Interestingly, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who rescued Nunieh and prevented the Police from ferrying her away, was quick in urging the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to probe the invasion of embattled ex- Managing Director’s residence.

However, hours later, the Rivers State Police Command officially l clarified that the policemen, who surrounded Nunieh’s house were actually on legitimate duty in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Though the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni did not state the Police team’s mission, he dismissed reports suggesting that the officers were on illegal duty.

According to him, the police officers, found in the house on Thursday, came from the IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja.