Dame Judith Amaechi, the wife of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has dismissed the allegation by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that she and the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) received ₦4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
A rebuttal on Tuesday by her Media Assistant, Dike Bekwele, described the accusation as “utterly baseless” and a “wild and unfounded allegation” designed to malign the reputation of the former Rivers First Lady and the NGO she leads.
The FCT minister had during a recent live television interview, alleged that ESI was benefiting from illicit monthly payments from the NDDC.
Reacting to the claim, Bekwele said, Wike “made these allegations with disregard to the precision of facts, rather to a mere vainglory in a bid to score cheap political goals.
He maintained that neither Dame Amaechi nor ESI has ever received the alleged ₦4 billion monthly from the NDDC, stressing that the NGO is a duly registered organisation with legal standing and verifiable partnerships.
“The Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) was duly incorporated in 2011 as a non-governmental organisation with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and it has secured partnerships and collaborations through memoranda of understanding with development partners, including the NDDC,” Bekwele stated.
He explained that the collaboration between ESI and the NDDC is aimed at supporting youth and women empowerment programmes across the Niger Delta region.
“The partnership, between the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) and the NDDC are 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,” the statement read.
Bekwele also emphasised the transparency of the partnership, noting that “the counterpart funding between the ESI and NDDC is in public glare for scrutiny.”
The media aide urged the FCT Minister to provide credible evidence of the alleged financial misconduct.
“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.”
The statement further asserted that the claim was a “mere figment of the minister’s imaginations, accusing the minister of attempting a media trial to settle personal scores.
“We challenge Mr. Wike to make public his version of the forensic audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission where either Dame Judith Amaechi or the ESI were indicted,” Bekwele continued.
He added that in the likely event that the minister fails to provide the 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 further cautioned Wike against actions that could damage Nigeria’s international image.
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