Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was coy about allegation of sexual harassment former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) acting Managing Director, Dr. Joi Nunieh, levelled against him.
Akpabio and Nunieh are locked in a battle, a fall-out of the crisis rocking NDDC.
The duo have been enmeshed in public spat with the ex-NDDC boss pinning her removal from the coveted office on the former Akwa-Ibom governor and accusing him of fraud in the agency and sexually harassing her while she was in the saddle.
“Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him in his guest house at Apo? I am the only woman that slapped Akpabio. He thought he could come up on me. He tried to harass me sexually.
“I slapped him. He tried to come on me. I am an Ogoni woman and nobody jokes with us. I showed Akpabio that Rivers women do not tolerate nonsense,” Nunieh told Arise TV.
Akpabio in reaction to the sexual harassment slur, called her unprintable names.
He however, refused to be dragged into the issue again during an interview he granted newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, saying, “As a minister of the Federal Republic, I can’t talk about individuals. I’m more concerned about what this administration can deliver to Nigerians and how to make sure NDDC delivers its mandate to the region.
“All the rumbles you are hearing are because of the change that is coming; for the first time, the people will have a say on how their funds are used. Change is coming and they should be prepared for it. N18 billion was inserted into the NDDC budget for schools, yet, they have no school to run.”
