The Anambra State Government has released records of loans and other financial obligations it said were incurred or left unpaid during the administration of former Governor Peter Obi.
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The government made the disclosure in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, following recent comments by Obi about the state’s debt profile.
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The state government said Obi left office with outstanding domestic and external debts, as well as unpaid pension, gratuity and salary obligations involving some categories of workers.
According to the government, audited expenditure records during Obi’s eight-year tenure from 2006 to 2014 amounted to about $4.05 billion when converted using the average official exchange rates applicable during the period.
It also said Obi’s administration contracted about $123.77 million in external loans, some of which are still being serviced by successive administrations.
The government stated that eight external loan facilities remained outstanding when Obi left office on March 17, 2014. It put the balance of the loans at N127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, based on figures from the Debt Management Office and the prevailing official exchange rate.
The state government acknowledged that the loans were obtained for areas including malaria control, erosion management, education and healthcare. It said the current administration had continued to make monthly payments towards servicing the facilities.
It maintained that borrowing was not necessarily a problem when funds were used for projects capable of producing lasting benefits for the people. The government therefore said it was not opposed to the loans simply because they were contracted during Obi’s administration.
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However, the state government also accused the former governor of leaving behind several unresolved challenges when he left office.
It alleged that there were no functioning urban or rural water schemes, while insecurity and poverty remained concerns. It further claimed that public schools and hospitals were poorly equipped and lacked adequate teachers and medical personnel.
The government said 78 out of Anambra’s 179 communities, representing about 44 per cent, did not have public primary schools at the time, adding that the current administration was working to address the gap.
It also claimed that only about 27 per cent of residents were using public health facilities because of what it described as poor quality and inadequate services.
The state government referred to Obi’s recent comments about the public healthcare system, saying his position supported its argument that the sector faced serious challenges during his tenure.
On workers’ entitlements, the government said verified salary, gratuity and pension arrears were owed to some retired teachers and former Water Corporation staff when Obi left office.
It rejected Obi’s claim of having cleared all inherited arrears of pensions, salaries and gratuities, describing the claim as inaccurate.
However, the government said it would not enter into the separate dispute over which arrears were inherited from previous administrations and which were settled during Obi’s tenure.
The latest exchange has brought renewed attention to Anambra’s debt position and the financial record of Obi’s administration as the former governor continues his political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
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