Obi debt claim: Anambra govt presents N363m salary arrears records

Anambra State Government has released documents detailing N363.38 million in salary arrears owed to workers and pensioners of two defunct state agencies, amid former governor Peter Obi’s insistence that he left the state without debt.

The documents, shared on social media by Anambra State New Media, a platform affiliated with the state government, form part of its response to Obi’s claim that he did not leave outstanding debts at the end of his eight-year administration.

The records include a memo dated May 22, 2025, signed by a former head of service, and a terms-of-settlement agreement between the state government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

According to the memo, the state government scheduled a second tranche of N363.381 million for payment in 2026 as part of an agreement to settle outstanding salary arrears involving the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation (ANSWC) and Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).

“The second payment in the sum of Three Hundred and Sixty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand Naira only (₦363,381,000.00) will be made in 2026,” the document reads.

The memo, which referenced Article 7 of the terms of settlement, said the payment was part of the government’s commitment to fulfilling the agreement and addressing the hardship faced by affected workers and pensioners.

The beneficiaries include next of kin, staff and pensioners of the two defunct agencies.

The document also proposed that the payment be processed through the state government payroll system using a dedicated account.

It sought approval for the release of the funds to the beneficiaries, listing the vote charge as 61104001/23020105/10000003 and indicating a balance of N500 million.

The terms of settlement cited in the memo were signed by the state government and AUPCTRE on February 6, 2024.

The Soludo administration maintains that the N363.381 million represents part of the salary arrears inherited from Obi’s administration, which it said left the entitlements of workers and pensioners of the two agencies unpaid.

According to the government, the first tranche of the settlement has already been paid, while the second payment was provided for under the 2024 agreement.

However, the documents do not independently establish when the underlying arrears were incurred or whether they originated during Obi’s tenure as governor.

Renewed dispute between Obi and the Anambra government followed an earlier claim by Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, that Obi left $123.77 million in debt when he handed over power.

Mefor said the funds were obtained for projects covering malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community development and value-chain development.

Obi, however, insists that his administration did not leave Anambra State burdened with debt.