By Deborah Nnamdi
Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has strongly denied allegations made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that she received N4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for empowerment programmes.
In a statement released Tuesday through her media aide, Dike Bekwele, Mrs Amaechi described the claims as “baseless, false, and politically motivated,” aimed solely at damaging her reputation.
Wike, in a recent television interview, alleged that Mrs Amaechi received monthly payments from the NDDC which were mismanaged. He also urged President Bola Tinubu to release the long-awaited forensic audit report of the NDDC.
Mrs Amaechi refuted the allegations, stating categorically that neither she nor her non-governmental organization, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), received such funds.
“There is no iota of truth in the allegation made by Mr. Wike. Dame Amaechi and the Empowerment Support Initiative did not and have never received N4 billion monthly from the NDDC,” the statement read.
According to her, ESI—founded in 2011—operates as a registered non-profit and has partnered transparently with development agencies, including the NDDC, under verifiable agreements to provide youth and women empowerment through skills training and entrepreneurship.
She emphasized that all ESI projects were properly executed and publicly documented, with no indication of wrongdoing. Mrs Amaechi also challenged the FCT Minister to present any section of the forensic audit implicating her or the organization, noting that the report in question has yet to be officially released.
“It is preposterous for Mr. Wike to allege any indictment from a report that has not been made public. His claims are a fabrication,” she stated.Mrs Amaechi called on Wike to retract his statement, issue a public apology, and resign his ministerial position.
“We urge Mr. Wike to desist from making reckless, false statements that tarnish Nigeria’s image, particularly at a time when the nation seeks to attract foreign investment,” the statement concluded.
