The honourable(?) Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, is a big man full of himself. Having failed to play a godfather to his successor in Uyo, incumbent Governor Udom Emmanuel, Akpabio struck ‘gold’ in Abuja as a Minister despite various allegations of fiscal heist in his 8-year gubernatorial stewardship in Akwa Ibom State. Today Akpabio is a happy man having been rehabilitated by the Buhari administration — perhaps as a way of ‘compensating’ him for the looting service he rendered to his oil-rich state.
That Akpabio perpetrated fraudulent schemes during his terms as Governor in Uyo is beyond doubt but Nigeria is a home of political and digital scammers and fraudsters so seeing a former Governor accused grandiosely of corruption being ‘promoted’ to a higher office by the federal government bears no shocking element whatsover.
The recent war of words between Minister Akpabio and the immediate past Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Joy Nunieh, had brought to the public attention the moral corruption in our national life. Appearing before the Senate ad-hoc committee’s ongoing probe into allegations of corruption in the NDDC Ms Nunieh expressly accused the Minister of corruption detailing how he operated a corrupt system where he always tried to ‘exonerate’ himself in the event of exposure.
SOC Okenwa
She alleged that the ex-Governor had, prior to her employment, threatened her with disengagement in the event of her refusal to play ‘ball’! She stated that she categorically refused to take an oath of loyalty or secrecy proposed by the Minister! Above all, Nunieh accused Akpabio of sexual harrassment boasting that she was about the only woman to have slapped the hell out of the Minister for pestering her with sexual advances!
Minister Akpabio had reacted angrily to the allegation of corruption by the former Acting MD by dismissing her as incompetent and unqualified for the job she held. He charged her with insurbodination and brought her private family life into the larger picture. Asking the journalists interviewing him to bring the four husbands Nunieh had married so far to testify to her bad temperament he ridiculously asked the fallen Rivers woman to see a doctor!
Also the Minister disclosed that lady Nunieh never presented her NYSC discharge certificate following petitions alleging her non-compliance with the youth service code. One wonders when doing the compulsory national youth service after graduation became a prerequisite condition for employment as a managing director of a federal parastatal.
A hard look thrown the way of Ms Nunieh through the video of the interview online revealed the portrait of a strong-willed woman, an iron lady who could tell men off demystifying their narcissitic misogynistic tendencies. If she married and divorced four or a dozen times that should not be anybody’s problem. She has her life to live!
Pray, if the serial divorcee as revealed by Akpabio had acceded to the sexual demand of Akpabio or subject herself to the fetish oath-taking ritual as administered by the Minister would he have sacked her? Would Akpabio have gone on air on an international television station to question the woman’s mental state or talk about her insurbodination?
Godswill Akpabio is a ‘master’ in the politics of grand larceny. His lust for filthy lucre knows no bounds. Making him a Minister of the Niger Delta offered him another opportunity of a lifetime to make more money for himself corruptibly. As Governor of Akwa Ibom state he stole billions pretending to be infrastructurally developing the state and empowering the people.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) stinks! It has become a cash cow for big thieves masquerading as ‘saviors’ for Niger Deltans. The living condition of the people from whose land gushes the black gold that sustains the southern and northern parasites in Abuja and elsewhere ought to be improved without the Akpabios of this world trying to meddle or muddle up things.
Recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, some unidentified security men had tried to apprehend or abduct Ms Nunieh from her home in the garden city. It took the executive intervention of the Governor, Nyesom Wike, to ‘rescue’ her from the house arrest she was subjected to by the ‘bandits’ who came calling without any arrest warrant. The ‘abductors’ had wanted to prevent the woman from leaving home for Abuja where she was expected to continue testifying to the web of corruption in the NDDC.
Analysed critically from the prism of objectivity we tend to believe Ms Nunieh’s version of the story more than the infantile irresponsible defense and character assassination put up shamefully by the randy Minister. Between Akpabio and Nunieh there is this issue of sexual abuse thrown up even if it was an attempted but botched one. Why would a man responsible for a ministry try to use the power or influence of his office to seek sexual favour from a subordinate? Why employing oath-taking as an instrument of intimidation or dominance?
Many Nigerian politicians are notorious for their salacious way of life. Many even use their offices as brothels! The Akpabios of our politico-social space daily demonstrate ignobly that there is sexual ‘service’ in the service to the motherland. The likes of Joy Nunieh must be commended for their courage and resistance in the face of such naked power abuse.
All things positive and negative considered we hold that Minister Akpabio is a glorified sexual predator! He must therefore not only be denounced but named and shamed.
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
Be the first to comment