20 July 2020
A community leader of the Niger Delta region has called for the peaceful resolution of current bickering between the incumbent Minister of Niger Delta and the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) NEGROIDHAVEN has garnered.
Barr. Grace Eyo Ita the Ntunkae Oreng 1 of the Ejagham nation and former member of the Cross River State House of Assembly has opined that the scuffle between the duo of Godswill Akpabio and Joi Nunieh is injurious to development in the Niger Delta region.
According to Ita 'The conflict going on right now between our prominent son HE Barr. Godswill Akpabio and daughter, madam Joi Nunieh is injurious to the developmental strides of the Niger-Delta region.
'I am therefore using this medium to call on our prominent son and daughter to sheath their sword in the ongoing NDDC dispute and embrace dialogue for benefit of the entire region.
'The ongoing investigation by the National Assembly is commendable. But while we wait for the full report may I call on my Governor, HE, Sen. (Prof) Ben Ayade, the governor of Cross River State to collaborate with counterparts, the executive governors of Akwa Ibom State, HE Udom Emmanuel and the executive governor of Rivers State, HE the learned Barr Nyesom Wike to spearhead a resolution of the impasse and kindly bridge peace between the Minister of Niger Delta and my sister Joi Nunieh, who is a shinning light to the women folk of the south-south region.
'I stand in solidarity with fellow Niger Deltans on this. This isn't an APC-PDP affair but a Niger Delta solidarity. Personally, I'm a full member of PDP till date. But my present concern is for peace, stability and development of the region. The region is crouching under the weight of the underdevelopment. We lack basic infrastructure like the Calabar-Itu road and other areas. We need development not rancour.'
Sequel to the presidential order for a forensic audit of the NDDC where Ms Nunieh was head of the Interim Management Committee (IMC), she has suffered email hacking, identity theft, NYSC certificate scandal, boycott of contract verification order, and attempts on her life reportedly. She has fingered Akpabio to be the shadow figure behind all of her current travails. Akpabio today by 11AM is billed to appear before the National Assembly committee investigating the matter.
