Rufai: Obi’s $156m balance could offset debt claimed by Soludo govt

By Tolu Temidire

Arise News anchor, Rufai Oseni, has said the $156 million reportedly left in the coffers of the Anambra State Government by former governor Peter Obi would be sufficient to offset the N127 million debt allegedly inherited by Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration.

Oseni made the assertion on Friday during Arise Television’s Morning Show, while reacting to the ongoing controversy over the financial position of Anambra State at the end of Obi’s tenure as governor.

The development followed the release by the Anambra State Government of what it described as public debt records covering the period of Obi’s administration.

Obi, through the Interim Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, subsequently released his handover documents in response to claims by the Soludo administration that his predecessor left behind loans and other financial liabilities.

The document, dated March 17, 2024, contained a summary of the state’s financial position as of the close of business on that day and indicated a net positive balance of more than N86 billion.

Commenting on the controversy, Oseni said that even if the claims concerning loans obtained during Obi’s administration were accepted, the foreign currency reportedly left by the former governor would be enough to settle the debt being cited by the present administration.

He said: “Let’s assume Peter Obi actually collected the loan, as the Anambra State Government claims.

“If you remove the amount he left in the state’s account before leaving office, the foreign currency alone would be enough to clear the entire debt Governor Soludo claims he owes, unless there is another debt they are yet to show Nigerians.”

The exchange has further intensified the debate over the financial records handed over between successive administrations in Anambra State, with both sides relying on different documents and interpretations of the state’s liabilities and financial position.