Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has insisted that he left office without the state owing salaries, gratuities or pensions, or any contractor who had completed work that had been verified by the government.
Obi said this during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday while responding to questions about claims concerning loans and liabilities allegedly linked to his tenure as governor.
The NDC presidential candidate said he did not approach any financial institution to borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra State during his eight years in office.
“I, Mr Peter Obi, did not approach any financial institution to borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra State,” he said.
Obi also said that on the day he handed over, the state was not owing workers whose payments were due from the state government.
According to him, the same applied to contractors and suppliers who had completed their jobs and whose work had been certified and verified.
He stated, “On the day I left office, the government of Anambra State, which I served, was not owing any salary, gratuity or pension to those scheduled to be paid by the state government.
“We were not owing any contractor or supplier who had executed his job, certified and verified. Not one.”
Obi explained that where a contractor had not completed a project, such an obligation could not be treated as an outstanding debt until the work was completed, verified and certified.
He said the issue of payment was tied to the terms of the contractual agreement between the government and the contractor.
The former governor was also asked about the disagreement between his administration and the current Anambra State Government over loans and liabilities associated with his tenure.
Obi said he did not consider the matter a personal dispute with Governor Chukwuma Soludo, describing him as the governor of his state whom he respected.
He also appealed to governors to allow other presidential candidates to campaign freely.
According to him, Nigerians should be allowed to decide who they want to serve.
Obi urged Nigerians and political leaders to focus on issues affecting the country and the hardship being experienced by citizens rather than what he described as unnecessary distractions.
