Obi Challenges Anambra Govt Over Alleged ₦2bn Ecological Loan, Insists He Left Over ₦75bn Behind

By Tony Okafor, Awka

Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged the Anambra State Government to substantiate claims that his administration left behind inherited debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities and unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions.

He further explained that funds tied to specific projects or set aside for particular purposes were not included in the more than ₦75 billion in savings which, according to him, his administration left behind.

Obi, in a statement issued on Tuesday, described the allegations as “completely false”, insisting that his administration cleared outstanding financial obligations inherited from previous administrations before handing over power.

He said his administration systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears accumulated over several years, amounting to more than ₦35 billion.

According to him, at the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities or pensions, while no money was owed to contractors for projects that had been duly executed and certified.

Obi also provided details of the ₦2 billion ecological fund, saying the money was released about three months before the end of his tenure specifically to address the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.

He said that despite pressure to spend the money before leaving office, he declined, insisting that it should be preserved 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,” Obi stated.

The former governor challenged anyone who disputes his account to produce evidence to the contrary.

“If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning,” Obi declared.

The statement comes amid renewed debate over claims concerning financial liabilities allegedly inherited by successive administrations in Anambra State, as well as the management of funds allocated for ecological and erosion-control projects.