Kelechi Kas
Reactions have continued to trail the removal of Dr Joy Nunieh, the immediate past acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
A statement by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity said “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the enlargement of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from three to five.
“The five members of the committee are now: Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, who is the Ag. Managing Director, replacing Barrister Joy Nunieh; Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Ag. Executive Director (Projects); Mr Ibanga Bassey Etang, Ag. Executive Director (Finance and Administration); Mrs Caroline Nagbo (Member); and Cecilia Bukola Akintomide, OON, a former Vice President with African Development Bank, (Member).
“Prof K.D Pondei, the new Ag. Managing Director is a Professor of Medicine at the Niger Delta University, and former Provost, College of Health Sciences of the institution.
“President Buhari had earlier approved that the Interim Management Committee would be in place till the forensic audit of the NDDC was concluded”, the statement said.
Sources in Abuja said Nunieh was removed after N300 million was reportedly discovered in her account.
Calls to her line by our correspondent were not answered.
She became an object for vilification as the tussle between the executive and legislature ensured after the interim board was set up by the minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio.
She subsequently refused to attend the confirmation of the Dr Pius Odubu-led Board on November 5th 2019.
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Those who were confirmed include NDDC Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Executive Director Finance and Administration, Maxwell Okoh(Bayelsa), Prophet Jones Erue; Chief Victor Ekhator (Edo State) and Nwogu Nwogu (Abia State).
Others are Theodore Allison, representing Bayelsa State, Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River State); Olugbenga Elema (Ondo State); and Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian (Imo State).
The rest are Ardo Zubairu from Adamawa State and Ambassador Abdullahi Bage from Nasarawa State to represent the North Central geopolitical zone and the North-West representative, Aisha Murtala Muhammed, from Kano State,
Peter Nwaoboshi, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, while presenting the report of the screening exercise said all invitations extended to Nunieh were turned down.
Senate later said it would not recognize the caretaker committee of the Commission headed by Nunieh.
Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Godiya Akwashiki said the decision not to recognize the Joy Nunieh-led caretaker committee is “because it is not a legal entity.”
She said the Senate was waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the newly confirmed members of the NDDC board.
President Buhari in January withdrew the new board nomination, saying the move was to allow the interim management committee of the NDDC to conclude its ongoing forensic auditing.
According to him, “I write to intimate the Senate of the development concerning the appointment of the board of NDDC.
“The Senate may wish to note that after the dissolution of the board of NDDC, an interim management team was set up to manage the affairs of the commission before a new board was composed and sent for Senate confirmation.
“The Senate is invited to note that while the process of composition and senate confirmation of the appointment of the board was on-going.
“I had directed that the forensic audit of the commission be carried out which is being overseen by the constituted interim management team.
“Based in this and in order to allow for an uninterrupted process of forensic investigation, the board appointment confirmed by the Senate has to be put on hold.
“This is to allow the interim team to continue to manage the commission pending the outcome of the forensic audit.
“Thereafter, a new board of the commission will be re-composed for the confirmation by the Senate. “Please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the Assurances of My highest consideration.”
There have been accusations against her by interest groups in the region who alleged that they are being witch-hunted due to the on-going forensic audit ordered by Buhari.
Last week, the commission inaugurated two committees to continue from where the Contract Verification Committee stopped as well as complement the expected forensic audit of the commission.
The contract documentation committee was expected to authenticate all documents submitted by contractors while the project assessment committee will visit the various sites to verify contractors’ claims.
“The committees will start work from Feb. 10, even as the commission prepares to defend its budget before the Senate on Feb. 12.
“The just-concluded verification exercise has been an eye-opener for us. We will address the press on Feb. 10 for a full briefing on the reports from the exercise.
“That report will show Nigerians that we are truly determined to refocus NDDC to properly develop the Niger Delta region,” she said.
Nunieh had said the verification exercise revealed a high level of corruption in the award of contracts running into billions of Naira.
“Some contract award letters were found to be fake; some of the companies were not registered while somewhere registered after they had been given contracts.
“Also, some of the companies do not have the requirements prescribed in the Public Procurement Act to handle such projects. We also found out that some individuals have 50 to 100 different (contract) award letters under different names,”
Contractors executing jobs in the commission complained that she refused to pay them for the job they did.
But Nunieh said that only a few contractors showed up for the verification exercise, adding that NDDC would not visit sites of contractors who refused to participate in the assessment.
She said that only contractors and consultants who executed their contracts to specification would be paid.
“We will work with the Community Development Committees of the various communities and the villages to testify that the roads in their communities are done properly.
“No committee member is allowed to take money from any contractor or contractor attempting to induce committee members. The entire process of assessment is free,” she said.
Nunieh said that contractors and consultants owed between N1 million and N20 million would be paid immediately after NDDC verified their debt portfolio and budget was passed.
Nunieh assumed office as the new acting MD after the removal of Dr Akwagaga Enyia in October 2019.
Nuhieh assured the region that the commission will impact on rural communities spread across the Niger Delta region under her watch.
She said: “The Committee will take the NDDC to the next level and we will not fail the people of the Niger Delta. The youths that came to the NDDC headquarters to welcome us were very positive. We cannot afford to fail the people.
“We are here because Mr President expects that the forensic audit should be done properly from 2001 to date. There will be no compromise and the people will know that a new team is here to work.”
“We will reach out to all the villages because rural development is very important to us”, she assured.
Inside sources within the commission said she was removed for stepping on big toes who have access to the president, adding that the commission would have collapsed if not for her decisiveness to deal with corruption rife within her staff.
They said this led to accusations against her by politicians in the region who accused of corrupt practices.
One of the sources who did not want to be named said: “They thought they could pocket her because she is a woman. When they couldn’t, they began plotting against her, including allegations of certificate forgery.
“This is how people survive here. Those who try to do the right things are removed to make way for those who would play ball. That is what happened in her case. It is very saddening”
