Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has denied claims by the current state government that his administration left behind inherited debts at the end of his tenure.
Obi stressed that he left no outstanding debts, including liabilities relating to the ₦2 billion ecological fund, contractors, salaries, gratuities, and pensions.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) described the claims as false, saying his administration systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over ₦35 billion.
“At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified,” he said.
“The ₦2 billion ecological fund in question was released barely three months before the end of my tenure for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.”
Obi noted that, despite pressure to spend the money, he refused, insisting that it should be left for his successor because government is a continuum and the funds were tied to a specific project.
“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 stated.
Obi explained that funds tied to specific projects or set aside for particular purposes were not included in the over ₦75 billion in savings his administration left behind.
He added that if anyone could prove otherwise, he would stop campaigning for the 2027 election.
