Ag. NDDC MD, Nunieh: Even If I am An ‘Armed Robber’, We Must Do This Forensic Audit

Joi Nunieh, the Acting Managing Director, (MD) of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), says she cannot be intimidated to stop the forensic audit of the commission.

She spoke on the backdrop of claims by a civil society organisation that she had no valid NYSC discharge certificate nor exemption letter.

Nunieh told BIGPEN Online correspondent when contacted over the weekend in a telephone conversation that it is laughable for the group to make such bogus allegation.

According to the acting MD of the commission, her work in the NDDC would continue no matter what some people do to intimidate, blackmail and cowed her.

She said that some people are raising different kind of allegations against her because she is stepping on “big toes” to get the job of forensic audit of the commission done.

“He who alleges must prove, let them be bold enough to show the world the purported forged NYSC discharge or exemption certificate they claimed I forged”, she said.

The group, Transparency and Integrity Crusaders had asked her to step aside over the unsubstantiated allegation or be sack by President Muhammadu Buhari.

But Nunieh said, “The forensic audit must go on, no matter the intimidation and blackmail, the forensic audit of the commission must go on as planned. Some persons came up with some photos that I bought ten houses and I challenged them to prove their allegation.

“At a time they came up that I paid myself three hundred million and all manners of blackmails, but, the forensic must go on. Even see Timi, Timi came out, you people should not mind them, all they are doing now is to making sure the forensic audit fails but it must go on.

“Journalists must not be used to achieve their evil aims, you people should not mind them, we must do this forensic audit. Even if I am an ‘armed robber’, we must do this forensic audit. It’s a must, that the forensic must go on.

“I am appealing to Niger Delta Journalists to put in their all to support and cover the forensic audit. For the forensic audit, whether they like it or not, it must go on. They just want the Journalists to do their dirty jobs for them, why didn’t they provide the forged certificate if there is one as they claimed.

“I am sure you have heard about the certification exercise, that is only thing that is making them panic, running from pillars to posts. We have 5,000 thousand contractors, only 15 have came up with their papers.

“The procurement act is very clear, for you to do business with federal government department, ministry, you must have PEN COM, some of them their companies is not even registered, some of them have embezzled funds given to them by loved ones to develop projects.

“So, they thought big men will influence me to pay. I cancelled scholarship so that one child per a ward in the Niger Delta will get scholarship instead of two hundred big men children. So you think as I am stepping on these big toes, I will be spared.? I cannot be spared, they must fight back through all available means they deemed okay for them, but the forensic must go on.”