Anambra Govt to Obi: You dared us to prove you left debts, we did — tender apology now - Vanguard News

The Anambra State Government has challenged former Governor Peter Obi to tender an unreserved apology to the people of the state after allegedly proving that his administration left behind outstanding loans and other liabilities.

The challenge was issued by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor, in a statement on the controversy over the financial position inherited from the Obi administration.

Lefor said the former governor had challenged anyone who could prove that his administration left debts, but alleged that the government had now produced records showing that eight loans obtained from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank were contracted during Obi’s eight-year tenure.

He said the loans totalled $123,771,179.30, adding that some of the funds had been disbursed before Obi left office but, according to the state government, were not reflected in his handover notes.

Mefor said the loan records, including the dates and amounts involved, could be verified from the Debt Management Office (DMO), Abuja.

He said: “After we provided unassailable evidence in response to his challenge, he and his supporters have been hair-splitting, trying to blame us, the victim of his challenge, for bursting the bubble or inventing all manner of new accounting theories to explain that one can have a balance sheet and conceal the liabilities side — simply because the asset side is higher than the liabilities. That’s voodoo accounting!”

The commissioner further alleged that a fuller assessment of the state’s assets and liabilities showed that the Obi administration left “humongous net liabilities” rather than net assets.

According to him, the DMO report as of June 30, 2026, showed that the outstanding balance on the eight loans was $92.35 million, equivalent to ₦127.37 billion.

He said successive administrations, including the present administration, had continued to service the obligations through monthly deductions from the state’s allocations under the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

“We have provided the dates and the amounts that his administration signed the loans, and this can be verified from the Debt Management Office (DMO), Abuja,” the statement said.

Mefor also alleged that Obi’s administration left unpaid salaries and pensions, although the statement did not provide a breakdown of the alleged arrears.

He questioned what he described as Obi’s approach to governance, particularly the emphasis on saving public funds and earning interest from bank deposits rather than spending on the welfare and safety of citizens.

Mefor said Obi and his supporters had continued to contest the government’s interpretation of the financial records after the government responded to his challenge.

He said the issue had consequently become one of “word, character and integrity”.

“As a responsible government and committed to ethical governance and politics, we remain ready to provide information that advances public interest. For H.E. Peter Obi, it is a matter of word, character and integrity.

“Without any provocation, you threw a self-imposed challenge. Now that the facts challenge your character and integrity, you have no choice but to take the path of honour: tender an unreserved apology to the government and people of Anambra State and Nigeria and move on.

“You don’t continue digging when you are already at the bottom of the hole,” he said.

The commissioner added: “You cannot attack first and then end up as the victim at the same time. For us, it is only a matter of record. But since Mr Obi himself initiated this self-imposed challenge — daring anyone to prove that he left debts — it is only a matter of integrity and character that he owns up to the outcome.”

The state government also dismissed Obi’s reported argument that he did not personally approach the World Bank or DMO to borrow the funds.

According to the government, Obi was not required to physically approach either institution for the loans to become obligations of the state.

“H.E. Peter Obi, you do not have to ‘go to a bank or DMO’ before your borrowing can be perfected. All that is required is for you to sign the loan agreements, and your government did,” it said.

The government maintained that state governments were not compelled to obtain IDA-World Bank loans, arguing that a government must first express interest and execute the relevant loan agreements before accessing such funds.

It therefore challenged Obi and his supporters to dispute the specific loan records with the DMO, rather than contesting the government’s interpretation of the state’s financial position.

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