By Sunny A. David, Awka
A former Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Oseloka Obaze, has backed former Governor Peter Obi’s account of the financial position of the state when he handed over power to his successor, Willie Obiano, in March 2014.
Obaze, who served as Secretary to the State Government under Obi and later briefly under the Obiano administration, said he personally witnessed the handover process and the signing of the relevant documents.In a statement posted on his verified X account, Obaze said Obi signed the handover letter on March 17, 2014, while Obiano received and acknowledged his own copy in his presence.According to him, the documents included certified bank statements, related financial records and the official handover report, detailing the assets and liabilities of the state.The intervention came amid the ongoing controversy over the level of debt allegedly inherited by successive administrations in Anambra State.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo had recently challenged Obi’s claim that his administration left office without debt, with the current administration putting the debts inherited from the Obi and Obiano administrations at about N127.37 billion as of June 2026.
Obi subsequently released the handover document he said was presented to Obiano in 2014.
The document listed several financial assets, including about ₦27 billion in local investments, ₦26.5 billion in foreign currency investments, ₦28.17 billion in state and ministry, department and agency balances, as well as an approved federal refund of ₦10 billion.Obi said the figures, after accounting for liabilities, resulted in a net balance of approximately ₦86.66 billion.Supporting the former governor’s account, Obaze recalled the 2017 Anambra governorship debate organised by Channels Television, where Obiano reportedly acknowledged that funds had been left by the previous administration.
Obaze said he had questioned how Obiano, whom he described as a certified accountant and auditor, could have accepted the financial documents at the time of handover while later expressing reservations about the funds allegedly left by the Obi administration.
He also cited a reported account by former Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku that Obiano had told him that Obi left substantial funds which helped facilitate the construction of the Anambra International Cargo Airport at Umueri.
Obaze further referred to former Abia State Governor Alex Otti, an ex-banker, as having publicly corroborated the claim that Obi left funds for his successor.The former SSG therefore questioned the basis of the renewed dispute over the financial records of the Obi administration, maintaining that the handover documents and events surrounding the 2014 transition provided evidence of the financial position presented at the time.The controversy remains part of the broader debate over the debts, assets and financial obligations inherited by successive administrations in Anambra State.
