Ex-Minister Amaechi’s wife speaks on alleged N4bn monthly payment from NNDC

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Mrs Judith Amaechi, wife of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, has finally reacted to claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that her organisation, the Empowerment Support Initiative, ESI, is being paid ₦4 billion monthly by Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Wike had made the claim during a recent appearance on live television.

The FCT Minister had also claimed that the payment of N4 billion to the former Rivers governor’s wife was one of the discoveries in the NDDC forensic audit report The Minister had challenged the Federal Government to publish the report.

But in a statement on Tuesday, Amaechi said the claims “false and baseless.”

Mrs Amaechi, in the statement issued by Dike Bekwele, her spokesperson, said 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.

Rather, she said ESI is in partnership with the NDDC based Memoranda of Understanding for joint funding of 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.

She also affirmed that ESI is committed to transparency and continued collaboration with stakeholders to create sustainable livelihoods for youths and women in the region.