Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, has described the allegation by Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike that she collected N4billion monthly from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as utterly baseless and falsehood.
She challenged Wike to make public his version of the forensic audit report on the NDDC where she or Empowerment Support Initiative, ESI, were indicted, failing which he (Wike) should made good his boast and tender his resignation as Minister of the FCT, forthwith with an unreserved apology to the nation.
A statement on Tuesday, by her Media Assistant, Dike Bekwele, said: “Our attention has been drawn aback to a live television interview wherein a wild and unfounded allegation of corruption was made against Dame Amaechi and ESI, by Wike on a live National television.
“In one of his rather cyclic, hysteric, poor and recurring live television outings, Wike, in his habitual manner, accused Dame Amaechi and ESI, of receiving N4billion monthly from the 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:
“There is absolutely no iota of veracity in the allegation made by Mr. Wike against Dame Amaechi and ESI. Dame Amaechi did not and has never received N4billion from the NDDC.
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“The ESI, was duly incorporated in 2011 as a non-governmental organisation 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 NDDC.
“The partnership, between ESI and 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.
“This partnership has been successfully executed since its commencement to the satisfaction of both ESI and the NDDC, with numerous youths and women within the Niger Delta region benefitting from the scheme for self-reliance and sustainability.
“Quite contrary to the falsehood concocted and diffused by Mr. Wike, the counterpart funding between ESI and NDDC is in public glare for scrutiny.
“It will be preposterous for Wike to allege that ESI or Dame 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.
“The 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 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 NDDC where either Dame Amaechi or 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 FCT, 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.”
