You Left ₦127bn Loan, 11 Months Unpaid Salaries — Anambra Govt Hits Back At Peter Obi
The Anambra State Government has disputed claims by former Governor Peter Obi that his administration left the state with zero outstanding financial liabilities, revealing that Obi left behind ₦127.4 billion in loan obligations alongside millions in unpaid salary, pension, and gratuity arrears.
The rebuttal was contained in an official press statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, in response to Obi’s recent challenge asking for proof that his tenure left behind state debts.
According to the state government, while Obi has repeatedly claimed to have cleared all inherited financial obligations upon leaving office, verifiable records show lingering liabilities across several sectors.
Unpaid Salaries, Pensions, and Gratuity Arrears
Dr. Mefor highlighted that salary arrears owed to workers of the state’s defunct Water Corporation persisted throughout Obi’s eight-year tenure, eventually leading to court litigation and financial judgments against the state.
He revealed that the current administration under Governor Chukwuma Soludo recently negotiated a out-of-court settlement with the affected workers and has already paid two out of three agreed instalments.
Furthermore, the government addressed unpaid obligations to primary school teachers under the local government system, an issue originating during the administration of the late Governor Chinw Soludo’s administration has so far cleared approximately ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers.
₦127.4 Billion Debt Profile
Beyond worker entitlements, the state government cited the latest figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), revealing that the total balance of loans incurred during the Obi administration stood at ₦127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026.
“Evidently, Peter Obi borrowed for projects across malaria control, erosion management, education, and healthcare,” Mefor explained. “So far, this government pays hundreds of millions of Naira every month to service these debts, and we are not complaining. It is good for Anambra state as long as the impact is visible.”
The commissioner emphasized that borrowing in itself is not an indicator of bad governance, urging the former governor to be transparent about the state’s true financial history.
“Let’s be clear: hardly any government in the world operates with zero debt stock. No business or government can scale significantly without debt,” Mefor concluded. “Many citizens of Anambra would not have minded that Peter Obi borrowed to fix public schools, hospitals, water schemes, or infrastructure. Debt for bankable projects and human capital development is justifiable, so he should stop acting as though all debt is bad or denying its existence.”
