Akpabio Not In A Joyous Moment As Joi Nunieh Bursts His Bubble
When Avbero in Professor Hope Eghagha’s play, “Death, Not A Redeemer”, proverbially told Chief Karia (her renegade husband, that “When a masquerade is disrobed, and his nakedness becomes communal embarrassment, then it is time for handlers to drag the masquerade from the arena”, she unarguably never had Senator Godswill Akpabio in mind as the play which was first published in 1988, and premiered within the same decade is a paradox of the historical anecdote of the King’s horseman who reneged on his long contract with sacrificial death back in the days of our ancestors.
However, with the somewhat distractive banter Akpabio employed in his bid to respond to the damning corruption allegations Joi Nunieh made against him, not few people are asking in hush tones, “How does the woman’s marriage to 4 husbands in her marital life addressed the allegations on corruption leveled against the minister ?” To those with logical mindsets, the minister merely resorted to ad hominem argument which is a personal attack on Nunien's character rather than address the main issue raised by Nunei. In a similar vein, it reminds those in the Christendom of the allusion to an utterance of Jesus’ in John chapter 8 verse 7 where he charged those that accused a certain woman of practicing adultery to cast the first stone if they think they are holier than the woman being accused. He said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Since the allegations against the minister became a public issue, public opinion has been that he should respond to the allegations made against him rather than impugning the woman’s character by alluding that she is temperamental and not marriageable. Going by comments on social media space, not few Nigerians want the minister to be punished if found guilty. Avbero’s insightful proverb as quoted in Eghagha’s “Death, Not A Redeemer” clearly describes the kind of punishment angry Nigerians wished the minister should be punished with when found guilty ostensibly to serve as a deterrent to other appointed politicians in the ilk of the minister, particularly in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which has no doubt become a cesspool of corruption.
Since the controversial relationship between Akpabio and Nunei became a public issue, many Nigerians, particularly women are questioning the propriety of frequently inviting the woman to locations that are far away from prying eyes, particularly to hotels. As it is at the moment, one may not be wrong to say that Akpabio is not in any way experiencing a joyous moment with the former acting managing director of the NDDC as it used to be.
In as much as this piece is not set to literarily increase the decibel of sound that is calling for the head of the minister, it suffices to say that the act of misogynism which was exhibited by him against the woman will make anyone to shudder on how short-sighted some politicians could be. Little wonder the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike rescued Nunieh from her house after armed policemen laid siege to her house in the morning on Thursday.
Still in the same nexus, an African proverb says “If pounded yam appears not be well pounded for swallowing, it should be eaten for the sake of the well prepared soup that smells delicious.” Interpretatively put, Akpabio ought to have accorded the hapless woman due respect by responding to the issue rather than resorting to maligning her character, and his frolics seems to be what many commentators have been hammering on in their argument over the issue rather than looking at the main issue.
In as much as Akpabio remains the supervising minister of the NDDC, does that justify his frequent involvement in the day-to-day activities in the company to the extent that he was accused of overbearingly making frivolous demands from the company? According to Nunieh, she was even intimidated by the minister as she was told to take oath so as to make every transaction with him a secret. In her words, “He told me to take an oath. He told me three times until we had a reconciliation meeting at the Villa in the office of Mr. Abba who is the SSA to the President on Domestics. In that meeting was Alhaji Maikano and he (Akpabio) said the only condition is when I take the oath and I didn’t take the oath and will never take it.”
As a writer that is wont to comment and make analysis on issues of national concern, I find it difficult to ignore the one that is being analyzed in this context, particularly as it relates to corruption, sexual harassment and misogynism. Leaving the foregoing tripartite misdemeanor to thrive together with corporate governance would no doubt be very dangerous to the democratic process that has unarguably gone beyond its nascent stage. To be precise in my analysis, it is dangerous to sweep the issue that revolves around corruption under the carpet.
Gladly enough, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja ordered a speedy and effective coordination among security and investigating agencies along with the National Assembly into the allegations and counter allegations of corruption rocking the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Be that as it may, Akpabio should convince Nigerians that he did not order contracts awarded to people who could not execute such contracts. More so, Nigerians deserve to know how the N40 million NDDC rip-offs happened within the period he took up the supervisory responsibility of the development company. Again, why is the minister so interested in Nunei’s failed marriages? Without exonerating himself from the sundry allegations it would be difficult for anyone not to conclude that he is not in a Joyous moment as Joi Nunieh has bursts his bubble. What a pity!