Amaechi’s wife denies receiving N4bn monthly from NDDC

Judith Amaechi, wife of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, said her organisation, Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), did not receive ₦4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as claimed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

In an appearance on a live television interview, Wike alleged that ESI got the funds as part of a long-standing arrangement with the NDDC.

He further stated that an unreleased forensic audit conducted on NDDC indicted ESI.

However, in a Tuesday statement, Mrs Amaechi’s media aide, Dike Bekwele, denied that her organisation benefited from such largesse from the NDDC.

The statement reads, “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.”

Bekwele explained that ESI has collaborated with the NDDC 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.

He said these partnerships were transparent and open to public scrutiny.

“Since inception, our programmes have provided empowerment for thousands of beneficiaries,” he stated.

Bekwele dismissed the suggestion of an indictment in the forensic audit as “a mere figment of imagination,” maintaining 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 stressed.