Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), peter obi has rejected the allegations of mismanagement of Anambra state’s Ecological loan levelled against him by Governor Chukwuma Soludo stating he left the money intact when he left office as the state’s governor in 2014.
The rebuttal follows claims made by the Anambra state government that the NDC presidential candidate mismanaged state funds. Reacting on X on Tuesday morning, Obi stated “My attention has been drawn to trending claims by the Anambra State Government that my administration left behind inherited debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities, and unpaid salaries, gratuities, and pensions.
“This is completely false. We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over ₦35 billion. At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified.
“The ₦2 billion ecological fund in question was released barely three months before the end of my tenure for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis. Despite pressure to spend the money, I refused, insisting that it should be left for my successor because government is a continuum and the funds were tied to a specific project.
“The money was therefore left 100% intact in First Bank, in Account No. 2018779464, with a balance of over ₦2.13 billion. It is important to stress that funds tied to specific projects or set aside for particular purposes were not even included in the over ₦75 billion in savings we left behind.
“If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.” He said.
