NDDC: ‘I Did Not Touch Funds Meant For Niger Delta People’ – Ex-MD Testifies Before Reps Panel

Joy Nunieh, the former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) who finally appeared before the panel the House of Reps Committee on NDDC, said she did not touch funds meant for the people of Niger Delta.

Recall the Police Thursday laid a siege at Nunieh’s residence in rivers State, the same day she was billed to appear before the House committee investigating an alleged mismanagement of funds by the current interim management committee (IMC) of the NDDC.

She was eventually freed following the intervention of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

The former NDDC MD who, midday Friday, presented herself to be grilled by the panel via zoom, blamed her failure for appearing before the House committee on the blockade at her residence.

At the hearing, she denied the allegations levelled against her-led Interim Management, stating that she did not touch funds meant for the Niger Delta People.

“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 that he had no knowledge of what was going on in the commission under Nunieh because he could not reach her.

The senate ad-hoc panel is drawing up its report after an investigative public hearing on allegations that the current interim management mismanaged N40 billion.

The house also is looking into some alleged financial infractions in the commission.

The lower legislative chamber began its investigative hearing on Wednesday.