Mrs. Judith Amaechi, wife of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, has strongly denied allegations made by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that her organization, Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), received ₦4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Wike claimed during a live television interview that the funds were part of a long-standing arrangement between ESI and NDDC, and even hinted that ESI might have been indicted in the NDDC forensic audit report, which hasn’t been publicly released.

In response, Mrs. Amaechi’s media aide, Dike Bekwele, described Wike’s claims as “false and baseless,” emphasizing that neither she nor ESI has ever received such funds. Bekwele explained that ESI is a non-governmental organization established in 2011, focused on empowering youths and women through skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development. Their collaboration with NDDC is based on signed Memoranda of Understanding for joint funding of human capacity development programs, vocational training, and entrepreneurial support.

The partnership between ESI and NDDC is transparent, with thousands of beneficiaries empowered since its inception. Bekwele challenged Wike to make public the alleged forensic audit report if it indeed indicts ESI or Mrs. Amaechi. If Wike fails to produce the report, Bekwele urged him to resign as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and tender an unreserved apology to the nation.

In essence, Mrs. Amaechi’s camp asserts that Wike’s allegations are an attempt to undermine her reputation and ESI’s integrity, with no basis in fact. They reaffirm their commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.