Former Anamabra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi, has dismissed as false the claims by the state government that his administration left behind unpaid debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, outstanding contractor bills, and unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions.
In a statement responding to the allegations, the former governor said his administration had cleared historical gratuities and arrears going back several years, totaling more than ₦35 billion.
He maintained that by the time he left office, the state had no outstanding salary, gratuity or pension liabilities, and owed no contractor for projects that had been completed and certified.
On the disputed ₦2 billion ecological fund, he explained that the money was released only about three months before his tenure ended, earmarked for tackling the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.
Obi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, said he resisted pressure to spend the funds, choosing instead to preserve them for his successor on the grounds that governance is a continuous process and the money was designated for a specific project.
As a result, he said, the full amount remained untouched in a First Bank account—No. 2018779464—which held a balance of over ₦2.13 billion at handover.
He further noted that project-specific funds of this nature were not even factored into the more than ₦75 billion in savings his administration left behind.
The former governor challenged anyone able to prove otherwise to come forward, declaring that he would end his campaign if such evidence emerged.
