The Anambra State Government has released documents showing N363.38 million in salary arrears owed to workers and pensioners of two defunct state agencies, amid a dispute with former Governor Peter Obi over the state’s debt profile.
The documents, released through Anambra State New Media, a platform affiliated with the state government, are part of the government’s response to Obi’s repeated claim that he left Anambra without outstanding debts when he handed over power.
According to the documents, a second tranche of N363.381 million was scheduled for payment in 2026 under an agreement reached between the state government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
The arrears relate to workers and pensioners of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation (ANSWC) and Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).
A memo dated May 22, 2025, signed by a former Head of Service, stated that the payment was part of an agreement to settle outstanding salary arrears owed to affected workers and pensioners.
The terms of settlement were signed by the Anambra State Government and AUPCTRE on February 6, 2024. The government said the first tranche had already been paid, while the second payment was scheduled for 2026.
The Soludo administration maintains that the N363.381 million represents part of the salary arrears inherited from Obi’s administration. However, the documents released do not independently establish when the underlying arrears were incurred or whether they originated during Obi’s tenure.
The controversy follows an earlier claim by Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, that Obi left $123.77 million in debt when he left office.
Mefor said the funds were obtained for projects covering malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community development and value-chain development.
Obi has rejected the claims, insisting that his administration did not leave Anambra State burdened with debt and maintaining that he neither borrowed money nor issued bonds as governor.
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