The government of Anambra State has presented official documents pertaining to N363.38 million in salary arrears, as former governor, Peter Obi, insists that he did not leave the state with debts before leaving office.
The documents were shared on social media by Anambra State New Media, a platform affiliated with the state government, as it challenges the claim by Peter Obi.
It includes a memo dated May 22, 2025, signed by a former head of service, and terms of settlement reached between the state government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
The memo establishes that the state government had entered into a settlement covering salary arrears involving the two defunct agencies and that a second tranche of N363.381 million was scheduled for 2026.
The document, however, does not by itself establish when the underlying arrears were incurred or whether they were incurred during Obi’s administration.
The government insists that the N363.381 million represents part of the salary arrears it inherited from the administration of Obi, which it said left the entitlements of workers and pensioners of the two defunct agencies unpaid.
According to the state government, the payment forms part of efforts by the Chukwuma Soludo administration to settle the outstanding obligations, with the first tranche already paid and the second tranche provided for under a 2024 terms-of-settlement agreement.
The documents concern salary arrears owed to next of kin, staff and pensioners of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation (ANSWC) and Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).
According to the memo, the second tranche of the settlement was valued at N363,381,000 and was scheduled for payment in 2026.
The memo referred to Article 7 of the terms of settlement and said the payment was part of the state government’s commitment to fulfilling the agreement and addressing the hardship faced by the affected workers and pensioners.
“The second payment in the sum of Three Hundred and Sixty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand Naira only (₦363,381,000.00) will be made in 2026,” the document reads.
He restated the claim during an interview on Arise News while responding to allegations that he left outstanding loans and liabilities.
Law Mefor, Anambra commissioner for information and value reorientation, had previously said Obi left $123.77 million in debt at the end of his tenure.
