NDDC: PDP Calls On Buhari To Suspend Akpabio, IMC Over Fraud Allegation

Just as the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu was suspended to allow for unhindered probe of fraudulent allegations against him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has similarly called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio over alleged financial infractions in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under his supervision.

The party also asked that the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC led by Joy Nunieh, the former acting managing director, be dissolved over allegations of mismanagement of N40 billion.

According to a statement signed and issued by the party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said that with the unearthing of “rampant corruption, treasury looting, recklessness and manifest public unruliness of the NDDC management, the Minister and the IMC have become a huge embarrassment not only to the Buhari administration, but also to the Niger Delta region and the nation at large.

The main opposition party insisted that though President Buhari had ordered a ‘speedy and coordinated investigation’ of the activities of the NDDC management, “such an important probe cannot yield any credible result as long as Senator Akpabio and indicted IMC are still in charge in the commission”.

It added that the immediate suspension of the minister and members of the IMC remained the only way to ensure that such individuals did not interfere with investigations or tampered with vital documents.

“Our party invites President Buhari to note that already, there are manifest efforts to frustrate investigations into the NDDC activities as witnessed in the attempt to abduct and silence the whistleblower, former acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Joi Nunieh, to prevent her from further exposing the alleged corrupt conduct of the embattled minister and the IMC,” the statement read.

“Nigerians are also aware of the condemnable conduct of the current acting Managing Director of the indicted IMC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, who walked out on the House of Representatives committee investigating the corruption in the NDDC, ostensibly to frustrate the speedy and coordinated audit of the activities of the IMC.

“The PDP strongly condemns the invasion of Ms. Nunieh’s residence by security operatives in an apparent attempt to abduct her on the alleged orders from above and urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to fish out all those behind the ugly incidence.

“Our party also urges the IGP to provide adequate protection for Ms. Nunieh and other witnesses in the probe from the corrupt cabal in the NDDC who have shown to be desperate to silence witnesses in order to cover their trails.”

MERIDIAN SPY reported Friday Nunieh who finally appeared before the panel the House of Reps Committee on NDDC, denied the allegations levelled against her-led Interim Management Committee, stating that she did not touch funds meant for the people of Niger Delta.

“Nobody makes any payment in NDDC without Godswill Akpabio,” she told the House committee panel.

“When we first came to the NDDC, on the day of going for the inauguration, he told me in the car that ‘Madam MD, If you don’t do what I say, the same pen which I use to sign your letter, it will be the same pen I will use to remove you.

“He said the first thing I should do when I get to Port-Harcourt is to change the dollars in the NDDC account. I was scared to do that.”

On his part, Akpabio told the panel investigating him that he had no knowledge of what was going on in the commission under Nunieh because he could not reach her.