Mrs Judith Amaechi, wife of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, has come out to deny an allegation by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that her organisation, the Empowerment Support Initiative, received ₦4 billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Recall that Wike recently alleged that the funds were being paid to ESI as part of a long-standing arrangement with the NDDC, suggesting that the organisation might have been indicted in the NDDC forensic audit report.
Reacting to the allegation via a press statement, Mrs Amaechi disclosed that Wike’s claims are false and baseless.
According to her, neither she nor ESI had ever received such an amount from the interventionist agency, and ESI’s partnership with the NDDC is 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.
She stated that their collaboration is very transparent and open to public scrutiny; therefore, no hidden agenda is at play.
“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.
These partnerships are transparent and open to public scrutiny. Since inception, our programmes have provided empowerment for thousands of beneficiaries,” she said.
Dismissing the suggestion of an indictment in the forensic audit, she stressed that ESI remains dedicated to accountability and sustainable development.
“These initiatives have empowered thousands of beneficiaries and are open to public scrutiny,” she added.
Judith’s statement reiterates the organisation’s commitment to transparency as it guarantees sustainable livelihoods for youths and women in the region.
