Abia State Governor Alex Otti has reaffirmed his claim that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi left approximately $155 million in funds and investments for the state when he left office in 2014.
Otti made the clarification during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, as a wider dispute over Anambra State’s financial position during and after Obi’s administration continued.
The governor said his position was based on his understanding of the financial arrangements and maintained that he had personally witnessed aspects of the transactions.
Dispute Over Anambra’s Financial Legacy
The controversy followed claims by the Anambra State Government concerning liabilities attributed to the period before Obi left office, including a figure of about $123.7 million in outstanding foreign obligations.
Obi has rejected the interpretation that he left Anambra with the alleged debt burden, arguing that the figures being discussed combine different categories of development financing and should not simply be characterised as conventional borrowing.
Otti, however, has maintained his separate claim concerning funds and investments associated with Obi’s administration.
Different Figures, Different Financial Categories
The dispute has consequently involved competing interpretations of Anambra’s financial records at the end of Obi’s tenure.
The $155 million figure cited by Otti and the approximately $123.7 million liability cited in the debt controversy refer to different aspects of the state’s financial position and should not automatically be treated as competing figures for the same financial category.
The disagreement has become part of a broader political and economic debate over the management of Anambra State under successive administrations.