Rivers State Government has warned that it would not tolerate any harm coming the way of Rivers daughter and former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Joy Nunieh, following the ongoing probe of the commission.
The government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, called on forces behind the probe to ensure the security of Nunieh.
Nunieh has been engaged in accusations and counter accusations with the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, who supervises the NDDC.
Nsirim, however, said that the government would never support any action capable of jeopardizing the laudable intentions of President Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the commission for optimum performance.
The statement said: “Rivers State Government has viewed with concern, the recent developments at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in which the name of our daughter, Dr. Joy Nunieh, the immediate past Acting Managing Director of the Commission, has been dragged into.
“We hereby call on those involved in the ongoing investigations in the NDDC to ensure that Dr. Joi Nunieh does not suffer any harm in the course of their undertakings.
“We wish to state categorically that the Rivers State Government will never support any action that will prevent or jeopardize the laudable intentions of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to positively reposition the NDDC and fulfill the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.
“However, we wish to state that while we are not interested in identifying with the present unfolding drama in the NDDC, we will not however fail to protect our daughter from actual harm or perceived danger.
“The state owes it as a duty to protect her citizens from danger no matter their political affiliation and we cannot fold our hands and watch anyone harm her or indeed any Rivers citizen. We advise those involved in the present altercations in the NDDC to thread with caution in their actions and utterances.”
By Mike Odigwe