Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has responded to the renewed debate over his financial record while in office, saying he will not trade words with anyone over his tenure.
Obi said he had remained quiet in recent days while mourning the death of his elder brother and friend, Chief Okey Ezeibe.
He said he decided to address the controversy because of what he described as inaccurate claims surrounding the finances he handed over when he left office in March 2014.
Obi disputes $123.77m debt claim
A major part of Obi’s statement focused on development financing linked to Anambra State.
He rejected the description of about $123.77 million in multilateral funding as Peter Obi debt, saying the facilities were development programmes secured by the Federal Government for participating states.
Obi explained that the programmes involved institutions such as the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
According to him, the facilities had repayment periods of between 25 and 30 years and were accessed through arrangements involving the Federal Government and participating states.
He argued that the total approved value of the facilities should not be treated as the same as the amount actually drawn by Anambra or the balance outstanding when he left office.
Former governor cites DMO figures
Obi also questioned figures he said had been presented by the Anambra State Government.
He said records from the Debt Management Office showed the state’s external debt at about $18 million when he assumed office in March 2006.
According to Obi, the figure stood at about $30 million when he left office in March 2014 and rose to approximately $45.15 million by December that year.
He therefore asked the state government to explain how it could describe $123.77 million as debt inherited from his administration.
Obi stressed that the facilities should be assessed based on their approval, effectiveness, actual drawdown and repayment history.
Obi says he left over $150m investment
The former governor also repeated his claim that he left more than $150 million as the dollar component of investments for Anambra State.
He said the funds were held in banks and could have generated about $10 million annually if they had remained untouched.
Obi argued that the income from the investments could have been used to offset the state’s financial obligations if the debt figures being cited were accurate.
He further estimated that the investment, with compound interest and additional income, could have grown to about $335 million.
Obi said documents supporting his claims could be verified with the relevant banks.
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Obi says he will not trade words
The former Anambra governor also addressed his relationship with current Governor Charles Soludo and other state governors.
He said he had no disagreement with Soludo or any governor and maintained that he was not seeking to become governor of any state again.
Obi also appealed to governors to allow political candidates to campaign freely in their states, regardless of their party affiliations.
He said voters should ultimately have the freedom to decide who they want to represent them.
Concluding his statement, Obi said he would not engage in a public exchange over his tenure in Anambra.
He said his attention would instead remain on issues affecting Nigerians, which he linked to his presidential ambition.
“A new Nigeria is POssible,” he said.