By Kolawole Ojebisi
Former acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, Joy Nunieh, has denied tampering with funds meant for the commission.
Nunieh made this known on Friday while testifying before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC at the ongoing investigative hearing on the alleged illegal expenditure and mismanagement by the commission.
The investigation of the NDDC had got messier on Thursday as the police invaded the Port Harcourt residence of Nunieh.
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who thwarted attempted abduction of Nunieh by armed policemen, has asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to probe the invasion of the former NDDC boss.
It was alleged that the invasion was to prevent Nunieh from moving from Port Harcourt to Abuja to testify before the panel.
In Abuja, top officials of the NDDC, who appeared before the committee had walked out of the venue of the sitting after insisting that the panel Chairman, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, must step down.
However, in a virtual session on Friday, Nunieh told the Reps members that she didn’t spend touch a dollar or any other currency from the fund meant for the Niger Delta people
She said, ” I did not spend a dollar of Niger Delta people’s money. I did not collect any money from contractors and I never touched monies belonging to the Niger Delta.”
When asked if she actually spent N8bn throughout her tenure as Acting MD of NDDC contrary to N18bn the CBN claimed was spent during the period.
Nunieh, who knew she had sworn to an oath, said she couldn’t give a specific amount as she didn’t have the documents with her in Port-Harcourt, she added that they(documents) were in Abuja.
Nunieh said, ” You know I am under oath so I can give you a specific amount. ”
She, however, opened a Pandora’s Box sorts of by giving the three categories of people responsible for the ‘comatose’ state of the NDDC.
She added, ” During my tenure, for the first time in the history of NDDC, all staff worked throughout December, there was no break. Three groups are responsible for the corruption in the NDDC: the management – IMC,the staff of the commission and the people of the Niger Delta.”
