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The Anambra State Government has published an official document dated May 24, 2025, detailing the approval of N363,381,000 as the second tranche of salary arrears for workers, pensioners, and next of kin of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and ANSEPA.
The document was signed by the former Head of Service, Dame Theodora Okwy Igwegbe, and addressed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, highlighting a payment process outlined in an out-of-court settlement with organized labor reached on February 6, 2024.
Highlighting the release on X, the Anambra State New Media Office captioned its post, PART 3: EVIDENCE THAT LYING IS IN PETER OBI’S DNA.
It added, “The Soludo administration paid the first tranche of State workers’ entitlements—entitlements Peter Obi left unpaid during his eight years as governor. Gov Soludo has now, also, paid the second. Peter Obi knows we know he’s lying.”
The document sought approval for the release of the funds under the out-of-court settlement, stating that the second tranche was due for disbursement in 2026.
The Head of Service wrote, “That the agreed second tranche payment of Three Hundred and Sixty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand Naira only (N363,381,000.00) is due for disbursement in line with the Terms of Settlement signed on 6th February 2024.”
She added that the payment would “further reinforce your administration’s commitment to social justice, workers’ welfare, and adherence to agreements reached with organised labour”.
This revelation fuels an ongoing political and financial dispute between former Governor Peter Obi and the current administration regarding the state’s true financial standing and inherited liabilities when Obi left office in 2014.
Defending his legacy during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme, Peter Obi maintained, “On the day I left office, the government of Anambra State, which I headed, was not owing any salary, gratuity, or pension to those scheduled to be paid by the state government”.
He added, “We were not owing any contractor or supplier who executed his job, certified and verified—not one.”
Obi also rejected claims that he borrowed money or issued bonds on behalf of Anambra State during his eight years as governor, stating, “Let me categorically state again: I, Mr Peter Obi, did not approach any financial institution to borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra State in the eight years I was in government.”
Explaining the funding arrangements, Obi said some facilities were concessionary multilateral support, noting, “There’s a difference between I went to the bank to borrow money, then the Federal Government sees, ‘Oh, this state is doing well in education.’ They selected Anambra, Ekiti, and Bauchi and said, ‘These three states are doing well. Why don’t we give them a concessionary multilateral support to help them?’”
He also argued that undrawn funds should not be treated as debt, stating, “Even if I had gone to a bank and borrowed money—even if I had gone to a bank and borrowed money, but I did not spend the money, you cannot call it debt I left.”
While the Soludo administration insists it has tackled roughly N22bn in inherited gratuity arrears alongside legacy staff liabilities, Obi continues to firmly reject claims that his government left behind unpaid obligations.
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