Judith Amaechi, wife of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, has denied an allegation by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that her organisation, the Empowerment Support Initiative, received ₦4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Wike had made the claim during a live television interview, alleging that the funds were being paid to ESI as part of a long-standing arrangement with the NDDC.
He also suggested that the organisation might have been indicted in the NDDC forensic audit report, which has not yet been made public.
Reacting to the allegation in a statement on Tuesday by her media aide, Dike Bekwele, Mrs. Amaechi described the claims as “false and baseless,” insisting that neither she nor ESI had ever received such funds from the interventionist agency.
“The allegation that ESI receives ₦4 billion monthly from NDDC is completely untrue. ESI was established in 2011 as a duly incorporated non-governmental organisation focused on empowering youths and women through skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development,” the statement read.
According to Bekwele, ESI’s collaboration with the NDDC is based on signed Memoranda of Understanding for jointly funding human capacity development, vocational training, and entrepreneurial support for women and youths in the Niger Delta region.
“These partnerships are transparent and open to public scrutiny. Since inception, our programmes have provided empowerment for thousands of beneficiaries,” he added.
The statement further dismissed the suggestion of an indictment in the forensic audit as “a mere figment of imagination,” stressing that ESI maintains a strong commitment to accountability and sustainable development.
“These initiatives have empowered thousands of beneficiaries and are open to public scrutiny,” he added.
The statement reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to transparency and continued collaboration with stakeholders to create sustainable livelihoods for youths and women in the region.
Punch
