By Yemi Itodo

A group of civil society organisation, Peoples Alliance for Indigenous Rights, (PAIR), has expressed concern over what it described as a 'show of shame' by some ex-officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), over their 'wild allegations'.

The group at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, voiced its opposition to the style adopted by a former Managing Director (MD) of the Commission, Ms. Joi Nuneih, describing it as overly dramatic and staged managed.

In the briefing, Iriogbe Emmanuel, Coordinator of the group and James Okoronkwo, National Secretary, called on the House of Representatives and Ms. Nuneih to allow the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari, rather than engaging in media trial.

According to the duo, Ms. Nuneih has weaponised ‘kidnap and sexual harassment’ in order to score some political mileage, which the PAIR described as unfortunate.

"We have since observed the unfortunate drama playing out in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and wish to state that facts have become obscured as the dramatic and playing to the gallery has taken centre stage.

"If those, especially Ms. Joy Nuneih, a former Managing Director of the NDDC, were out to expose corruption as has been alleged by them, then this unnecessary orchestrated drama would not be part of the 'fact finding' by the House of Reps.

"It is regrettable that those who parade themselves as saints are in themselves mired deep in rot, therefore, the determination to smear others with mud", the group stated.

The group alarmed that, "in all of the shouting, puffing and huffing, Ms. Nuneih is yet to tender any document to the House of Reps", adding that the House Committee itself was not clean in its conduct.

"While it is not cast in stone that some things may have gone wrong, Ms. Nuneih and her co-travellers should allow the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari go on. It is only proper that any grievances and allegations of wrong doing should be channeled to the audit panel and not the red herring all over the place", the group added.

The group submitted that the new management of NDDC, the Interim Management Committee and Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, should be allowed "some breathing space, to reposition a terribly battered commission".