JOI NUNIEH’s ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ME WAYWARD, MALICIOUS ~Akpabio speaks out
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio has finally reacted to the allegations of sexual harassment, secret cultism, corruption and pipeline bombing against him by a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh.
A statement by Akpabio’s Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong described the allegations as false, malicious, libellous and a campaign of calumny against him.
THE PRESS RELEASE READS IN PARTS:
The attention of the Honourable Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON has been drawn to a cornucopia of false, malicious and libellous press interviews granted by Ms. GBENE JOI NUNIEH, the erstwhile Acting Managing Director of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in some news and social media platforms and a series of concerted vicious campaigns of calumny deviously orchestrated by her against his person; ranging from allegation of corruption, sexual and workplace harassments, pipelines bombings, secret cult activities, abuse of office, amongst other lies peddled by her.
The Honourable Minister’s initial attitude was to allow his lawyers and the judicial system vindicate him of the false allegations against him, but he is compelled to react to some of the wayward allegations levied against his person by Ms. Nunieh, especially the one bothering on sexual harassment.
To start with, let it be known that there is no scintilla of truth in all the allegations peddled around by Ms. Nunieh. They are simply false!
The Honourable Minister did not at any time, place or circumstance make any form of sexual advances to Ms. Nunieh, not even to put himself in a position or posture suggestive of sexual advances towards Ms. Nunieh or any female staff of his Ministry or the NDDC.
The Honourable Minister therefore finds the said allegation nauseating and a very cheap blackmail, for Ms Nunieh to suggest or insinuate that he sexually harassed her, while she was the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC.
The Honourable Minister also finds it appalling that, Ms. Nunieh never deemed it fit to report the alleged incident to the police at the earliest opportunity she had before, during or after her tenure as the Acting Managing Director on 17th February, 2020, if indeed the allegation was true.
Waiting till July 10th and 13th 2020 when the National Assembly appears to be probing some of her actions as the Acting Managing Director of the Interim Management Committee (IMC), exposes her motive, especially; at a time when the momentum for the Forensic Audit investigation of the NDDC is heating up and the truth is about to be unveiled for all to see?
The critical question is who is afraid of the Forensic Audit at the NDDC? Who is Afraid of the Truth?
There is no doubt that Ms. Nunieh’s attacks are both personal and sponsored. Those afraid of the truth and who wish to bury it from seeing the light of the day are strenuously behind Ms. Nunieh’s vicious campaign of calumny.
The Honourable Minister has a mandate from Mr. President, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to unearth alleged looting and financial misappropriation that had gone on at the NDDC since its inception in 2001.
He is committed to that mandate through the forensic audit of the NDDC and will not be deterred or distracted from that goal.
The aim of this campaign of calumny is simple; get Senator Akpabio out, kill the forensic audit and continue business as usual at the NDDC”, he summed up.
Brave Views reports that Akpabio’s statement did not touch on the allegation of being slapped by his accuser, Joi Nunieh.