Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has insisted that he left no debt when his tenure as governor of Anambra ended.
Obi, who left office in 2014 after serving two terms, spoke
on Thursday during an interview on Arise News, while responding to claims that
he left office with outstanding loans and liabilities.
The Anambra government, through Law Mefor, commissioner for
information and value reorientation, had said Obi left $123.77 million in debt
at the end of his tenure.
Mefor said the loans were obtained for projects, including
malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community
development, and value chain development.
‘I DIDN’T LEAVE DEBT’
The NDC presidential candidate said the funds being
described as debts were not loans he personally obtained from banks.
“I told you these are not loans. I didn’t go to the bank,”
Obi said.
“As at the time I left office, the dollar components of my
savings invested in various bonds were over $150 million, which gives Anambra
state guaranteed income of about $10 million yearly.
“Let me assume the worst-case scenario — which is false —
that there was $123.7 million owed as of the time I left. I left over $150
million that was earning about $10 million.
“If they just kept the money that I left and were using the
income to pay the loan, they would have finished paying it now, with the
capital of $150 million still remaining, and still giving Anambra state $10
million annually.
“Assuming your father left you an inheritance of $100
million, and suddenly somebody comes up and says your father is owing $10
million, are you going to go to the market and say your father left you with
debts? You would be unfair.”
Obi said there was a difference between borrowing money and
a state government receiving concessionary support from multilateral
institutions.
According to Obi, the support was facilitated by the federal
government and the World Bank.
“They (federal government) selected Anambra, Ekiti and
Bauchi because these three states were doing well in education and said: why
don’t we give them concessionary multilateral support to help them do better?
It was a decision made by the federal government and the World Bank to give
support,” Obi said.
Obi added that even if the debt claim were accurate, he had
left enough funds in Anambra to repay the debts.
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