Peter Obi Did Well As Governor – Soludo’s Govt Admits

The Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, has said that the administration of Charles Soludo is not interested in indicting former Anambra governor, Peter Obi.

Naija News reports that Mefor said this in an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica on Thursday, reacting to the controversy over the debt claim during Obi’s administration.

Mefor stated that there is no rift between Soludo and Obi, explaining that both politicians were simply defending their interests.

“There is no rift between Governor Soludo and Peter Obi. They are both in politics, and they have their interests to defend,” Mefor said.

The commissioner said Soludo’s decision to work with President Bola Tinubu is consistent with the longstanding approach of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of maintaining a working relationship with the federal government.

He recalled that Obi, who governed Anambra on the platform of APGA, maintained a working relationship with the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who won was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Governor Soludo is just following the same policy. He is working with President Bola Tinubu. So long as that policy remains, nobody should blame the governor for following the policy that was introduced by Peter Obi,” he said.

Mefor also dismissed claims that the Anambra government’s scrutiny of Obi’s financial records was aimed at undermining his achievements or presidential ambition.

He acknowledged Obi’s performance as governor but said the disagreement centred on the former governor’s claim that he left no financial liabilities for successive administrations.

“The intention of the Anambra State government is not to indict Peter Obi.

“Peter Obi did well as governor,” he said.

Mefor said the government’s objective was to clarify the state’s financial records.

The commissioner also disputed Obi’s claim that he left no financial liabilities for subsequent administrations.

He questioned Obi’s claim that his administration left ₦12.13 billion in an ecological fund account with First Bank’s University of Nigeria, Awka (UNIZIK) branch.

Mefor said the state government requested the relevant account statement from the bank but found no evidence of the claimed balance.

“Peter Obi told us that he left ₦2.13 billion ecological fund in a First Bank account at the UniZik branch. We went to the bank and demanded the account statement. There was no ₦2.13 billion in that account, either as an inflow or a balance at any time,” he said.

He challenged Obi to publish the bank statement if he believes the government’s claim is inaccurate.

“We can’t see the money. I think it is fair enough to say that if he thinks that we are lying, he should print it out and publish it,” the commissioner said.

Mefor also faulted Obi’s claim that his administration did not leave loan liabilities for subsequent governments.

According to him, Obi’s administration obtained eight loans and drew down on some of them, leaving repayments for successive administrations.

“Nobody is against a government taking loans. Peter Obi took loans, and we are not saying it’s wrong. He took eight loans and he drew down on some of them. He did not repay, so he passed it down to the successive governments,” he said.

Mefor said borrowing was not inherently wrong, particularly when funds are used for projects that deliver public benefits.

He cited education, malaria control, agriculture and erosion management as areas for which Obi administration borrowed funds.

“We agree that these were noble reasons, but he shouldn’t say he didn’t take loans,” he said.

The commissioner also referred to records of the Debt Management Office (DMO), saying they showed that Anambra had domestic debt running into billions of naira when Obi left office.

Mefor said Soludo’s decision not to borrow since assuming office should not be interpreted as opposition to borrowing.

He said the current administration could consider borrowing where the funds are tied to specific projects capable of generating sufficient resources to repay the loans.

“Although Governor Soludo has not taken any loan, that does not mean that a loan is bad,” he said.