Soludo releases fresh document against Peter Obi despite ravaging floods in Anambra state

The Anambra state government has released a 2024 out-of-court settlement document as fresh evidence in its ongoing dispute with former governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over alleged unpaid salaries and other financial obligations inherited from his administration.

The state government shared the document on its official X account on Wednesday, describing it as evidence that contradicted Obi’s position that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or other financial obligations.

The governor Charles Soludo-led administration has continued to focus on Obi despite current wave of flooding and erosion menace ravaging parts of Anambra state with reported deaths and destruction of properties, even inside Awka, the state capital.

The document, titled “Terms of Settlement”, was signed on February 6, 2024, between the Anambra State Government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE.

According to the state government, the settlement concerned outstanding obligations involving the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).

The government presented the document as part of its response to claims concerning the financial position of the state at the end of Obi’s tenure.

State government challenges Obi’s claim

While releasing the document, the Anambra government accused the former governor of making a false claim about the financial obligations left behind by his administration.

The government said the Water Corporation arrears were evidence that workers had outstanding salary claims that were eventually addressed through an out-of-court settlement under the current administration.

“The Water Corporation Arrears — The Evidence: Peter Obi Lied. 14 years later, Soludo entered an out-of-court settlement with the Water Corporation over salaries Obi refused to pay for 8 years. Soludo is now clearing the backlog. Obi knows; we know he lied,” the state government said.

The latest development followed an earlier disagreement between the Anambra Government and Obi over his record as governor. The former governor has maintained that he inherited substantial financial obligations from previous administrations and took steps to settle outstanding liabilities during his tenure.

Obi has also disputed claims that he left Anambra with unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities, saying his administration systematically addressed historical obligations.

Obi maintains his position

Obi said his administration liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, with the total amount exceeding N35 billion.

“We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion,” Obi said.

The former governor has also challenged claims that his administration left the state heavily indebted, maintaining that his record in office should be assessed using official financial records and the circumstances surrounding the liabilities he inherited.

The latest document has consequently become part of the competing accounts by the two sides over Anambra’s finances and the obligations associated with previous administrations.

The 2024 settlement was reached during the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who took office in 2022, several years after Obi left office in 2014. The state government has cited the settlement as evidence that some financial claims involving workers remained unresolved after Obi’s tenure.

The dispute comes amid preparations for the 2027 general elections, with Obi expected to play a prominent role in the NDC’s presidential campaign. The former governor has continued to defend his record in Anambra, while the state government has repeatedly challenged aspects of his account of the state’s finances.

The competing claims have centred on salaries, pensions, gratuities, loans and other financial obligations. The newly released settlement document provides a specific record of an agreement involving two state agencies, but the broader disagreement over the overall financial position of Anambra at the end of Obi’s administration remains contested by the two sides.