Civil Society Drags Ex-NDDC M.D. To IGP, Accuses Her Of Lying On Oath; Demands Prosecution

By Adesina Soyooye

Joy Nunieh, a lawyer, and former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, could be in trouble, if she does not dig out her files and papers and clean them up.

Ms Nunieh was the M.D. of the NDDC under the Interim Managing Committee, IMC, constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a forensic audit on the NDDC.

But a few months later, she was sacked in controversial circumstances, facts of which were not known to the public, by the Minister for Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

But since last week, the facts have been coming like claps of thunder, none of it, decent. They have ranged from corruption, to oath taking, to non-qualification, to perjury, to sexual assault, and interference from, at least, one alleged girlfriend of the Minister’s.

There have been two centres for these revelations. One, the Senate, which is probing the NDDC IMC over alleged reckless spending. Two, Arise Television which has given both Ms Nunieh and Akpabio, airtime to expose themselves.

It began with Nunieh who, both at the Senate and Arise TV revealed why the Minister sacked her. She said she refused to tamper with funds on behalf of the Minister, refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Minister, refused to frame Senator Nwaboshi, refused to fund those the Minister wanted her to and, much more.

When the Minister appeared on Arise Television, instead of addressing the issues raised by the ex-M.D., he went personal. He accused her of being temperamental, and invited Nigerians to ask her four ex-husbands about her temper. He also said she was not qualified to hold the office, having not participated in the NYSC program, contrary to the affidavit she swore to.

Angered, Ms Nunieh went for Akpabio’s jugular, asking him why he did not tell the President that he sacked her because she slapped him for harassing her sexually.

Akpabio has not responded to that, but a Civil Society group has taken up his battle.

The Civil Society Advocacy Groups For Accountability And Probity, CSAGAP, is accusing Ms. Nunieh of lying on oath. It is accusing her of committing perjury. The  Group says perjury is a criminal offence, and, is asking the Inspector General of Police to investigate and prosecute her.

In a petition against her to the IGP, attaching documents, the group says Ms Nunieh lied on oath when she swore to an affidavit that she participated in the NYSC in Kwara state, a claim she, also, repeated on  Arise TV.

Entitled: Re- Case of Perjury Against Dr Joy Nunieh the petition reads in part: “It is with utmost respect that we write this petition against Dr Joy Nunieh, the immediate past Acting Managing Director of NDDC,  who falsely deposed to an affidavit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on the 23rd of October, 2019,  that she lost her NYSC call-up letter and Certificates, which includes NYSC discharge certificate.

“The deposition, as contained in the affidavit under reference, is false, and calculated to deceive and obtain undue advantage.

“Dr Joy Nunieh did not participate in the NYSC scheme, even though the  Nigeria Law School forwarded her name for the scheme.

“She lied on oath when she made the affidavit of 23rd October, 2019, because she did not participate in the NYSC during the period in question.”

The petition was signed by its Coordinator, Solomon Adodo .

Opinion is that the group is, allegedly, being sponsored , with some people asking why it did not, also, call for an investigation of the Minster over corruption allegations made by Nunieh. “A Civil Society Organization should be upright. The group should have petitioned the IGP against both Nunieh and Akpabio”, said an activist, Mr Effiong.

However, unconfirmed reports say that President Muhammadu Buhari is embarrassed by the bribery allegations against  Minister Akpabio and others, and has ordered an investigation.