By Eunice Orike
Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has defended his claim that he left office with about $150 million and N36 billion in state savings, insisting that the money was legally invested and can still be traced.
Speaking with the media, Obi said he never benefited personally from the state’s funds, adding that all the investments were made openly and could be verified.
Responding to claims that the money was kept in banks where he allegedly had personal interests, Obi dismissed the allegations, saying the records are available for anyone to examine.
According to him, Anambra State had $50 million and N12 billion invested in each of three commercial banks, Diamond bank, Fidelity bank and Access bank when he left office in 2014.
He explained that the dollar deposits were invested in bonds at the prevailing market rates and that the state did not lose any money.
“Go to the banks and check the records. The investments are there, and nobody was shortchanged,” Obi said.
The former governor also challenged his critics to name any Nigerian state where a governor left office with similar savings.
“Show me one state where a governor left behind savings like this, and I will stop talking about it,” he said.
Obi said the savings reflected his administration’s commitment to prudent financial management during his eight years in office.
However, his claims have continued to attract mixed reactions.
While some former banking executives, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has supported his position, his successor, Willie Obiano, and other critics have argued that Anambra also inherited unpaid debts and liabilities, raising questions about the true financial position of the state when Obi left office.
