Amaechi’s wife debunks Wike’s allegation of receiving N4bn monthly from NDDC
Dame Judith Amaechi
Amaechi’s wife debunks Wike’s allegation of receiving N4bn monthly from NDDC
By Jeffrey Agbo
Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of the former Minister of Transportation and ex-governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday strongly debunked an allegation that the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) which she established received N4 billion monthly for one year from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made the allegation during a live television interview recently, claiming without any evidence that she received N4 billion monthly from the NDDC for empowerment programmes.
Reacting through a statement by her media aide, Dike Bekwele, Mrs. Amaechi described Wike’s allegation as “baseless, false, and aimed at tarnishing her image for political gain.”
Wike had alleged that Mrs. Amaechi was paid N4 billion monthly by the NDDC and that the funds were mismanaged. He also called on President Bola Tinubu to release the long-awaited forensic audit report of the NDDC.
However, Mrs Amaechi dismissed the claim as unfounded and politically motivated, insisting that she never received such payments either personally or through her non-governmental organization, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI).
“There is absolutely no iota of truth in the allegation made by Mr. Wike against Dame Amaechi and the Empowerment Support Initiative. She did not and has never received N4 billion monthly from the NDDC,” the statement read.
The statement challenged 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.”
But in the event that he fails since no such indictment exists, she urged the minister to be honourable enough “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 reads, “Our attention has been drawn aback to a live television interview wherein a wild and unfounded allegation of corruption was made against Dame Judith Amaechi and the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory on a live National Television.
“In one of his rather cyclic, hysteric, poor and recurring live television outings, Nyesom Wike, in his habitual manner, accused Dame Amaechi and the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) of receiving FOUR BILLION NAIRA (₦4,000,000,000.00) monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC; a Report that has jostled well meaning Nigerians and has elicited calls and inquiry about the veracity of this story. We would have ignored the Minister’s ranting as it is a mere blackmail intended to undermine the reputation and integrity of Her Excellency and the ESI, but it is imperative to state the obvious in the interest of right thinking Nigerian Citizens.
“Mr. Wike made these allegations without any iota of decency, and with disregard to the precision of facts, rather to a mere vainglory in a bid to score cheap political goals.
“For the records, and in debunking these falsehoods, we wish to dismiss the allegations as untrue and categorically state the following:
“1. There is absolutely no iota of veracity in the allegation made by Mr. Wike against Dame Amaechi and the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI). 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.
“2. The Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), was duly incorporated in 2011 as a Non-Governmental Organization with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and it has secured partnerships and collaborations with a memorandum of understanding with development partners including the interventionist agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“3. 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 center for youths and women of the Niger Delta Region.
“4. This partnership has been successfully executed since its commencement to the satisfaction of both Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) and the NDDC, with numerous youths and women within the Niger Delta region benefitting from the scheme for self-reliance and sustainability.
“5. Quite contrary to the falsehood concocted and diffused by Mr. Nyesom Wike, the counterpart funding between the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) and the NDDC is in public glare for scrutiny.
“6. 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 imaginations.
“7. The Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) enjoys a robust partnership and relationship with its development partners including the NDDC. Such relationship has provided interventions in critical areas of the region, including empowerment of the youths and women in vocation and skills required for middle -level manpower by corporate organizations in the Niger Delta Region. Again, the allegation of an indictment of Dame Amaechi and the ESI is only a subtle blackmail to score cheap political goals.
“We expect that Minister Nyesom Wike will remain patient to his prayers answered on the unpublished NDDC forensic audit report, than to engage and indulge in media trial on a Live National telecast.
“We therefore, 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. 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.
“Finally, may we advise Mr. Wike to stop bringing the country’s image to disrepute as his uncouth and uncultured attitude is capable of undermining and under-marketing the nation’s effort at attracting foreign investors into the country.”
… Called from The niche.
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