Judith Amaechi, wife of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed as “absurd and baseless” claims by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike that her NGO received N4bn monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for women empowerment and training, totaling N48bn.
Wike made the allegation earlier this month on Channels TV, claiming Mrs. Amaechi was indicted in an unpublished NDDC forensic audit report, which he said was withheld by former Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami.
In a statement on Tuesday, July 22, through her spokesperson Dike Bekwele, Mrs. Amaechi refuted the claims, describing them as “subtle blackmail” aimed at scoring “cheap political goals.” She emphasized that there was no truth to Wike’s allegations of her involvement in any NDDC corruption probe.
“Dame Amaechi did not and has never received four billion naira monthly payments (₦4,000,000,000.00) from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. the statement read
"The partnership between the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) and the NDDC is reciprocal, to jointly fund human capacity programmes and trainings for the teeming youths and women; supporting nano, micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs, and its entrepreneurial development centre for youths and women of the Niger Delta Region.
"It will be preposterous for Wike to allege that the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) or Dame Judith Amaechi was indicted in the NDDC forensic audit report, which has not been published to the Nigerian Public. It is both absurd, baseless, and a mere figment of Mr. Wike’s imagination.”
Mrs Amaechi challenged Wike to make public his version of the forensic audit report on the NDDC, where either she or the ESI was indicted.
“In the likely event that Wike fails to provide such report, then we challenge Mr. Wike to actuate his boast and make bold to tender his resignation as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, forthwith with an unreserved apology to the Nation,” the statement added.
