Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has vehemently denied claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that she received ₦4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for empowerment programmes.
In a statement issued on Tuesday through her media aide, Dike Bekwele, Mrs. Amaechi described the allegation as “baseless, false, and aimed at tarnishing her image for political gain.”
Wike had made the accusation during a recent live television appearance, alleging that Mrs. Amaechi was paid ₦4 billion monthly by the NDDC, which he claimed was mismanaged. He also urged President Bola Tinubu to release the long-awaited forensic audit report of the commission.
Mrs. Amaechi, however, dismissed the claims as unfounded and politically motivated, stating that neither she nor her non-governmental organization, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), ever received such payments.
“There is absolutely no iota of truth in the allegation made by Mr. Wike against Dame Amaechi and the Empowerment Support Initiative. She did not and has never received ₦4 billion monthly from the NDDC,” the statement said.
The statement explained that ESI, incorporated in 2011, has partnered with various development agencies including the NDDC under verifiable memoranda of understanding to implement entrepreneurial and vocational training for youths and women in the Niger Delta. These projects, it added, were executed transparently and publicly documented.
Mrs. Amaechi also denied any suggestion of wrongdoing in relation to the NDDC audit report, noting that the report has yet to be made public.
“It is preposterous for Wike to allege any indictment in a report that has not been published. This is merely a figment of his imagination,” she stated.
She challenged the FCT Minister to present any section of the audit report that implicates her or the ESI and called on him to retract his allegation, issue a public apology, and resign from office.
“We advise Mr. Wike to refrain from making false and inflammatory statements that bring Nigeria’s image to disrepute. Such conduct is harmful to the country’s reputation, especially as we seek to attract foreign investment,” the statement concluded.
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