Rivers Women Threaten Mass Action Over Wike’s Attack On Rotimi Amaechi’s Wife

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Aggrieved Rivers women ,under the aegis of Rivers State Women Association of Nigeria, RIVSWAN at the weekend berated the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike over his verbal assault on the integrity and person of Dame Judith, wife of former Governor Rotimi  Amaechi.

They described the attack as totally unwarranted, malicious ,and misplaced.

The Source reports that Wike had, on Friday July 4, while reacting to Amaechi’s recent interview with the  Channels Television, alleged that the former Rivers State First Lady, Mrs Amaechi  collected  N4 billion monthly from the Niger Development Commission NNDC,  for the purpose of  training programmes for Niger Delta women.

But in a statement  by its Acting President, Ichechi Welendu,  RIVSWAN, while condemning the outburst strongly chided the FCT Minister for “peddling baseless falsehood driven by sheer bitterness, ignorance and a worrying lack of self-restraint.”

The women also urged the public to disregard ,and treat Wike’s unwarranted claims for what they truly are: “a concocted story fueled by personal vendetta and bitterness.”

Noted the group: the entire allegation is not only laughable, but an embarrassment to public discourse. It reflects either a gross misunderstanding of the NNDC’s budgetary structure or a deliberate effort to smear the name of a respected woman of substance”, the women group stated.

While commending the efforts of the Rivers state former First Lady in uplifting the wellbeing of women both in the State and in Niger Delta region, Welendu noted that most of Judith’s women -oriented programmes were, and are still mostly financed with personal resources.

According to the Women leader, Mrs Amaechi through the instrumentality of her NGO, Empowerment Support Initiative ESI, has over the  years, identified with, and supported girl-child education and general women empowerment across the South South region.

The group warned against any attempts by anyone or  groups under any guise to subject the person and integrity of the former First Lady to public ridicule, based on unfounded allegations.

This is as the women described Wike’s unwarranted attack on Judith as “a slap on the face of Rivers state Women.

The women, therefore, called on the FCT Minister to back his claims with documents or withdraw the unsavoury and irresponsible allegation.

The women group said failure by Wike to make public documents substantiating his allegations against Mrs Amaechi, could lead to some actions, including peaceful protest marches across the streets of Rivers state.

The women similarly urged President Bola  Tinubu to, as a matter of urgent necessity, call his Minister to order. They noted that  his continued unguarded utterances are unbecoming of a Federal Cabinet Member.

” Dame Judith Amaechi is a moral compass, a gospel preacher and a champion of good governance.

“Her support for her husband, the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi during his era of infrastructural transformation is well documented”, RIVSWAN stated