Obi Left 11 Months Salary Arrears Unpaid, Anambra Govt Claims

The Anambra State Government has accused former governor Peter Obi of leaving behind unpaid salary, pension, and gratuity arrears, despite his claims that his administration cleared all inherited obligations.

The information revealed in a statement, signed by its Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, on Wednesday, was in response to Obi’s call for proof that his administration left debts for the next administrations.

According to the government, the salary arrears to Water Corporation workers persisted throughout Obi’s tenure and eventually resulted in court processes and judgments.

The government noted the present administration had negotiated a settlement with the affected workers and had already paid the first two instalments of an agreed three-instalment payment.

The statement read partly: “HE Peter Obi owed verified salaries, gratuity, and pension to retired teachers and staff of Water Corporation.

“HE Peter Obi made very strong statements about clearing ALL inherited arrears of pensions, salaries and gratuities.

“That claim is patently false. We do not want to get into the debate between him and his predecessors regarding which arrears were paid by them or by him.

“Our administration has cleared about N22bn in inherited gratuity arrears of retired state and local government employees and teachers.

“However, there are still legacy arrears which have lingered since the time of HE Peter Obi.”

The government also raised concerns over arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities owed to primary school teachers under the local government system dating back to the administration of former governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

It said the Obi administration had verified and certified 16 months of salary arrears owed to the teachers and agreed to pay the debt in instalments.

According to the state government, however, only five months out of the 16-month arrears were paid during Obi’s tenure, leaving the balance outstanding.

“This administration has set up a committee headed by the Head of Service to finalise a new verification for us to pay.

“So, Your Excellency, you owed salaries, pensions and gratuities. Many of these people are still alive and can testify.

“It is not good to speak loudly without facts or with fabricated figures. How can you say that if we show one person that you owed you will quit your 2027 presidential campaign?

“No, we don’t want you to quit and we wish you well. But you obviously LIED: you owed many, not one, and those debts are yet to be fully cleared even today!”