Anambra Govt releases proof of debts left by Peter Obi

By Tolulope Oke

The Anambra State Government on Wednesday released official public debt records indicating that former Governor Peter Obi left behind unpaid external loans, pension liabilities, and an infrastructure deficit at the end of his tenure.

In a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, the state government disputed the presidential candidate’s long-standing claims of leaving office with zero debt and clearing all financial obligations.

The statement, titled Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies, disclosed that Obi contracted $123.77 million in external debt over his eight-year administration. Relying on data obtained from the Debt Management Office (DMO), the state government stated that eight different external borrowings were left for Obi’s successors when he vacated office on March 17, 2014.

According to the official government records, Obi’s administration spent an estimated $4.05 billion (equivalent to N5.4 trillion at current exchange rates) over eight years. However, the state clarified that during this same period, the former governor contracted $123,771,179.30 in external debt. Due to exchange rate fluctuations, the outstanding balance of these specific loans stood at a staggering N127,372,049,434.12 ($92.35 million) as of June 30, 2026.

To substantiate its claims, the Anambra State Government published the exact breakdown of the eight external borrowings left for Obi’s successors, which the current administration still services monthly:

Malaria Control Booster Project (Signed May 2007) – $9.46 million contracted, with an outstanding balance of N6.18 billion.

Third National Fadama Development Project (Signed August 2009) – $7.17 million contracted, leaving an outstanding N6.03 billion.

Health System Development Project II (Signed August 2009) – $4.12 million contracted, with N2.81 billion outstanding.

Malaria Control Booster Project Add. Fin. (Signed December 2009) – $4.42 million contracted, leaving N4.37 billion unpaid.

State Education Programme Investment Project (Signed July 2013) – $48.33 million contracted, with a massive N51.5 billion outstanding balance.

Community and Social Development Project (Signed March 2009) – $4.84 million contracted, leaving N5.10 billion outstanding.

Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Mgt Project (Signed July 2013) – $37.89 million contracted, leaving N48.08 billion unpaid.

Value Chain Development Project (Signed July 2013) – $7.5 million contracted, with N3.27 billion outstanding.

The state government also rejected Obi’s claims that he cleared all inherited arrears of pensions, salaries, and gratuities, labeling the assertion as patently false.

According to Mefor, there are still legacy arrears lingering from the Obi administration. The commissioner cited unpaid salaries to the staff of the defunct Water Corporation, which culminated in court judgments that the current administration is now settling in installments.

Furthermore, the government disclosed that while Obi’s administration verified and certified 16 months of salary arrears for primary school teachers under the local government system, he only paid five months before leaving office. To address the resulting backlog, the current administration stated it has already cleared about N22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears of retired state and local government employees.

Concluding the statement, the Anambra State Government directly addressed the former governor: “So, Your Excellency, you owed salaries, pensions and gratuities. Many of these people are still alive and can testify. It is not good to speak loudly without facts or with fabricated figures… you obviously LIED: you owed many, not one, and those debts are yet to be fully cleared even today!”