Anambra Govt to Peter Obi: Governance is About People’s Welfare, Not Savings

•Ex-gov not godfather to any of Soludo’s children, says First Lady

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Anambra State government yesterday told the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, that governance was about prioritising citizens’ welfare, and not saving in banks for interests while the people suffered.

This is just as the state’s First Lady, Nonye Soludo, clarified that Obi was not a godfather to any of the governor’s children.

The state government also accused Obi of concealing his administration’s debts in the handover notes he prepared while leaving office in 2014.

The state government has repeatedly said Obi left $123.77 million debt while leaving office.

Also, the government said, loans were obtained for projects, including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community development, and value chain development.

However, Obi has denied the claim, noting that he left over $150 million in Anambra’s treasury and investments.

“As at the time I left office, the dollar components of my savings invested in various bonds were over $150 million, which gives Anambra state guaranteed income of about $10 million yearly,” Obi said.

According to him, if he actually left a $123.77 million debt, then the yields from the $150 million would have paid off the debt by now, leaving the principal intact.

In fact, he challenged the Anambra State government to prove that his administration left behind unpaid debts, salaries, pensions or contractor liabilities.

Reacting, on Friday the Anambra State government released documents alleging that Obi’s administration also left N363 million in salary arrears owed to workers, among other outstanding debts.

Again, in a statement issued yesterday by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, the government accused Obi of placing primacy on savings over the peoples’ welfare, and concealing debts while handing over in 2014.

The statement read in part: “How much money would H.E. Peter Obi ascribes to the lives of the millions of people pulled out of poverty?

“Please, Your Excellency, Peter Obi: Governance and development are different from trading where everything is primarily about profit and loss account without much consideration for human life.

“Indeed, if government savings and interest income constitute an indicator of governance performance, perhaps it should have been one of the MDGs or SDGs, and governments would start competing as to who saves the most rather than who improves the security and welfare of the people the most.”

The Anambra government said there were widespread development gaps during Obi’s administration.

Meanwhile, the state’s First Lady, Nonye Soludo, has clarified that Obi was not a godfather to any of the governor’s children.

A statement by her media aide, Daniel Ezeigwe, said the clarification became necessary following widespread circulation of a video in which Obi claimed that he and his wife were godparents to Soludo’s children.

In the statement, the aide disclosed that the actual relationship was that Nonye Soludo was the confirmation godmother to Obi’s daughter, while Margaret Obi was the baptismal godmother to one of Soludo’s daughters.

“Mr Peter Obi is not a godfather to any of the children of Professor Chukwuma and Dr Nonye Soludo,” the statement read.

It added that neither Obi nor Soludo had served as a godparent to the other’s children.

The statement said the relationship between the two families remained cordial, while suggesting that Obi might have misspoken during his remarks.

“It is possible that Mr Peter Obi simply misspoke in the course of making his remarks. However, given the widespread circulation of the video and the inquiries it has generated, it is important that the record be set straight,” Ezeigwe stated.

The clarification followed Obi’s remarks at the 22nd Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Enugu on Friday, where he described his relationship with Soludo as close, despite their political differences.

The presidential candidate of the NDC said he and his wife shared a godparent relationship with the governor’s family, insisting that there was no personal disagreement between them.