Amaechi’s wife collects N4b naira monthly from NNDC for 12 months to mobilise Niger Delta women
“Amaechi’s wife collects N4b naira monthly from NNDC for 12 months to mobilise Niger Delta women
.I call on President Tinubu to release the forensic audit of NDDC .If they release it and it’s not in the audit, I will resign as FCT minister.
Allegations have emerged that the wife of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, collected ₦4 billion monthly for 12 months from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) through her NGO, Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), for the purpose of mobilising women in the Niger Delta region. The total amount allegedly received stands at ₦48 billion.
The claims, which first surfaced in 2019 during the tenure of acting NDDC MD Nelson Brambaifa, have resurfaced in political discussions. Reports alleged that the payments were made in split tranches of ₦4 billion monthly. Critics have pointed to this as a prime example of how resources meant for the development of the region were diverted.
ESI, the NGO allegedly involved, publicly denied these allegations in 2021. In a strongly worded statement, the organization called the reports “untrue and libelous,” maintaining that their empowerment programmes were legitimate and that no such massive funds were received.
There is no public record confirming that any FCT Minister recently issued an ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu demanding the release of a new forensic audit of the NDDC or threatening to resign if the audit fails to confirm the payment to Mrs. Amaechi.
A forensic audit of the NDDC covering 2001 to 2019 was already completed and submitted to the Federal Government in September 2021 during the Buhari administration. The audit revealed multiple irregularities and prompted calls for reforms within the commission. However, the specific ₦48 billion claim involving Mrs. Amaechi was not conclusively addressed in that report.
As of now, no official response has been issued from the Presidency, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, or the current leadership of the NDDC regarding renewed demands to revisit or publicly release the audit in full. The allegations remain unsubstantiated, and no legal action has been taken.
