The bitter war of words between the Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the former acting boss of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Joi Nunieh took another turn after Ms Nunieh accused Mr Akpabio, a former two-term governor and one-term senator of sexually harassing her in a guest house in Apo, a affluent district in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Ms Nunieh made the accusation during a live interview on a cable television channel, Arise TV. She said: “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.”
When prodded by the host Reuben Abati, who asked if she was accusing Senator Akpabio of rape or sexual harassment, Nunieh said, “Harassment sounds better, not rape. Yes, I am accusing him of sexual harassment. Akpabio is most interested in my love life. Did he want to be my seventh husband? That’s why Akpabio told the world that I am temperamental. You know why Akpabio will tell the world that I am temperamental? Because of that incident I slapped him.”
Ms Nunieh also accused Mr Akpabio of trying to inflate the NDDC budget. She said the minister directed her to include some projects from the refugee commission in the budget of the NDDC. “Akpabio wrote me to put a list of projects from the Refugee Commission in the budget of NDDC. The Refugee Commission is another Federal Government commission for IDPs,” she said.