Though the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Joy Nunieh was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari about two months ago, recent findings have revealed that she was relieved of the position over her non-participation in the one-year mandatory national service scheme.
There were insinuations in February that the Acting MD might have lost the position because of she and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio did not get along well.
Checks however revealed that Nunieh’s fate had actually been sealed by the Presidency.
It was however made official via a letter sent to the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, apparently due to an earlier petition against the person of Dr. Nunieh.
In a letter with reference number SH/COS/103/A/251, dated 4th February 2020 and tittled ‘A CASE OF NON POSSESSION OF VALID NYSC CERTIFICATE BY JOY NUNIEH, ACTING MD OF NDDC: AN URGENT CALL FOR REDRESS’, Kyari requested for Akpabio’s review and appropriate action on a matter from the Anti-Corruption and Accountability Coalition Against Corruption.
The above request from Abba Kyari however may have prompted Akpabio to seek for clarifications from the NYSC.
Responding to the request via a letter with reference number NYSC/DHQ/CCD/GEN/01/VL.II/300 and signed on behalf of the Director General of NYSC by the Direcor, Corps Certification, Mrs. Okonofua K.N, the NYSC disclosed that from available records, Nunieh Joy Yimegbe, who graduated from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in the 1989/90 session, was mobilised/deployed to Kwara State for the one-year national service in the 1990/91 service year.
But the commission said it has no record of the participation of the sacked acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission in the scheme.
“However, no record exists either in NYSC Kwara State or NYSC Directorate Headquarters to evidence her participation in the scheme,” NYSC stated in the letter.
NYSC’s clarification followed a request by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs – NDDC’s supervisory ministry -demanding the status of Nunieh in the scheme.
This new twist into the whole saga has not but put to rest the insinuation in some quarters that Apkabio, who is said to be instrumental to the appointment of the sacked acting MD, may also have staged her removal as result of the purported face-off between both of them.
