Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says he had no outstanding debt in Anambra when he left office as governor of the state.
Obi spoke in a viral video that circulated on Monday while
reacting to an earlier claim by the Anambra state government that it is still
repaying loans borrowed by previous administrations, including those of Obi and
Willie Obiano, his successor.
Obi served as governor of Anambra from March 2006 to March
2014, but his first term was interrupted by impeachment in November 2006.
He returned to office after the court overturned the
impeachment and served until March 17, 2014, when he handed over power to
Obiano.
Speaking on the Voice of Ndi Anambra Podcast posted on
Facebook on Monday, Izuchukwu Okafor, commissioner for finance in Anambra, said
the state’s monthly federal allocation is still being deducted to service loans
incurred the tenures of Obi and Obiano.
Obi, however, faulted the remark, saying his administration
never owed any salary, pension or contractor during his tenure.
“As at the day I left office, I was not owing any salary,
pension, or gratuity that Anambra state government is supposed to pay,” the NDC
presidential candidate said.
“I was not owing any supplier or contractor that had
executed his job and his documents processed, not one. The day I left office; I
paid what was due to be paid. I wasn’t owing any contractors.”
‘I LEFT N2.1BN ECOLOGICAL FUND IN FIRST BANK’
The former governor also addressed questions surrounding an
ecological fund he said was in the state government’s account when he left
office.
He said the money was received from the federal government
about three months before he left office and was reserved for a specific
erosion project.
“The day I left office, I had an account in the First Bank
of Nigeria, a branch in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, an ecological fund account
with a balance of about N2.1 billion,” he recalled.
“I had it in the bank. And it is not included in the money I
left, reason being that it was dedicated specifically for a particular erosion
project that was supposed to be ongoing.”
Obi said members of his administration had suggested
spending the money before he left office, but he declined because he wanted his
successor to have a smooth transition.
“My people were saying, ‘let’s expend this money’. But I
kept telling them, government is a continuity and I want the person coming
after me to succeed,” Obi said.
He challenged anyone who found discrepancies in the account
balance to produce evidence.
“I say it again, if you go to the account, I’m going to give
you the account number. I have given you the bank and the branch. If you see
anything contrary to the day I left office, I will stop campaigning,” he said.
Obi said Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, and all other
governors have the right to support any presidential candidate ahead of the
2027 polls, but said he only demands a free, fair and credible election.
“It’s about over 30 governors today supporting the
president. And it is politics and their rights to support whoever they want,”
Obi said.
“I’m not urging them to support me. I am only urging them to
allow free, fair and credible elections. I’m talking to the people because they
have only one vote.”
He said the outcome of the election should be determined by
voters rather than governors, adding that when he started his presidential bid
in 2023, he never had any councillor in power.
“Today, it is still the same case. The only thing is I am
campaigning to be the president of Nigeria,” he said.
“But it is the people of Nigeria that will decide, not the
governors, unless they’re going to write the results or rig the election, which
is what I’m preaching against.
“Let it be a free, fair and credible election. Whatever the
people decide, I will respect it.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com