Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has strongly rejected claims by the Anambra State Government that his administration left behind inherited debts.
In a statement via his official X (formerly Twitter) account , Obi described as “completely false” allegations that his government handed over a ₦2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities, and unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions.
He said his administration systematically cleared historical gratuities and arrears spanning several years, amounting to over ₦35 billion. At the point of handover, Obi stated, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities or pensions, and no contractor was owed for projects that had been duly executed and certified.
Addressing the ₦2 billion ecological fund, Obi explained that the money was released barely three months before the end of his tenure specifically for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis. Despite pressure to spend it, he said he refused, insisting the funds should be left intact for his successor because government is a continuum.
“The money was therefore left 100 per cent intact in First Bank, in Account No. 2018779464, with a balance of over ₦2.13 billion,” he said.
Obi further clarified that funds tied to specific projects were not included in the more than ₦75 billion in savings his administration left behind.
He challenged anyone who could prove otherwise, stating that he would stop campaigning if the claims were established as true.
The statement forms part of continuing exchanges between the former governor and the current Anambra State Government over the state’s financial position at the time of transition.
