- Safiu Kehinde
The former Anambra Secretary to the State Government, Oseloka Obaze, who served under the administration of Peter Obi, has countered the debt allegation filed against the 2027 Nigeria Democratic Congress Presidential candidate.
NPO Reported that the current administration led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, had earlier this released a report of the purported debt inherited by Obi’s predecessors.
Law Mefor, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, the purported debt profile in response to Obi’s claim of settling all debts during his tenure as the state’s governor.
Mefor alleged that the current state government is still paying over N127.4 billion loan accumulated from eight different external borrowings under Obi administration.
Reacting to the allegation in a statement issued onnhis X handle on Thursday, Oseloka debunked the Anambra State Government’s claim.
The former SSG recounted how Obi handed over outstanding N86.7 billion, as contained in certified bank statement, to his immediate predecessor, Willie Obiano.
Oseloka claimed being present at the handing over ceremony in March 2014.
“As the incumbent SSG of Anambra under @PeterObi at the time he left office on 17 March, 2014, I had the honour of personally being present when Peter Obi signed the attached handover letter.
“I was also present, when Gov. Willie Obiano received and signed an acknowledgement for his own copy of the letter, complete with the annexed certified bank statements, related documents and the Handover Report. The letter listed assets and liabilities – in black and red.” He said.
The ex-SSG fuether recounted how Obiano had initially claimed that no fund was handed over to him by Obi before acknowledging receiving the funds after being challenged.
“During the nationally televised Anambra 2017 governorhip debate on Sunday 12, November, 2017, organized by Channels Television, Gov. Willie Obiano asserted surprisingly that there were no funds left by the Obi Administration.
“I recall asking him on national television, how as a certified accountant and auditor he would sign off and accept financial documents, for which he now was expressing reservations.
“He then publicly acknowleged for the first time that some specified funds were in place and asked what was the use of saving money, when there was work to be done.
“As Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba would later confirm to members of the Nigerian press corps, Gov. Obiano had disclosed to him that his predecessor (Gov. Obi) had indeed left huge sums, which enabled him to independently build the Anambra Airport at Umueri.” He said.
Oseloka further cited the confirmation of the development by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, as he queried the Anambra statw government over the debt allegation.
“If Gov. Obiano to whom Peter Obi handed over to in 2014 would eventually acknowledge -implicitly and explicitly – that Gov. Peter Obi indeed left the stipulated funds; a fact that was also publicly corroborated by Gov. Alex Otti, in his capacity as an ex- banker, what then, one may ask, is the beef and grouse of the incumbent Anambra State Government?
“Go Figure!” He wrote.
Attached to the statement was a copy of the handover report dated March 17, 2014.