Anambra Government: Peter Obi Ecological Fund Claim Disputed

• The Anambra State Government disputes former Governor Peter Obi's claim of leaving over ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund account in 2014.
• Commissioner Law Mefor stated that the identified First Bank account (2018779464) was an Internally Generated Revenue account and never held the claimed amount.
• Obi maintained his administration cleared over ₦35 billion in arrears and left no outstanding salaries, gratuities, pensions, or contractor debts.
• The Soludo administration claims it inherited eight external borrowings totaling ₦127.4 billion and has cleared ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears.
• Disputes also include legacy arrears for retired teachers and Water Corporation staff that persisted through Obi's tenure.

This ongoing Anambra government Peter Obi ecological fund dispute highlights critical issues of financial transparency and accountability in public administration.

The Anambra State Government has publicly challenged former Governor Peter Obi's assertion that he left a substantial sum exceeding ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund account upon his departure from office in 2014. This **Anambra government Peter Obi ecological fund dispute** centers on the nature and contents of a specific financial record. According to the current administration, the First Bank account identified by Obi as the repository for these funds was not designated for ecological purposes and never held the amount he claimed.

Law Mefor, the state's Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, issued a statement on Wednesday, shared via the Anambra New Media X account, directly refuting Obi's claims. Titled "Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies," the statement provided the government's counter-narrative. Mefor indicated that the state had obtained a certified printout of the First Bank account, number 2018779464, which Obi had cited as containing the ecological funds.

Beyond the specific ecological fund, the **Anambra government Peter Obi ecological fund dispute** is part of a larger disagreement regarding the state's financial health at the time of Obi's handover. The current **Soludo administration inherited liabilities** that it claims were not fully disclosed or acknowledged by the previous government. Obi had previously rejected allegations from the Anambra government that his administration left behind significant inherited debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, outstanding contractor payments, and unpaid salaries, gratuities, and pensions.

Obi maintained that his administration had systematically settled historical gratuities and arrears, amounting to over ₦35 billion, before his exit. He asserted that at the point of his handover, the state had no outstanding obligations for salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did it owe contractors for duly executed and certified projects. Regarding the disputed ecological fund, Obi explained that the money was released for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis just three months before his tenure concluded. He stated that despite pressure to disburse the funds, he chose to leave them "100 per cent intact" for his successor, citing the principle of "government is a continuum" and the funds' specific project allocation, with the balance standing at more than ₦2.13 billion in First Bank.

The **Law Mefor Anambra statement** provided specific details to counter Obi's assertions. Mefor clarified that the First Bank account, number 2018779464, was in fact an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, not an ecological fund account as claimed. He further stated that a certified printout of this account, covering its entire history from its opening in 2011 to the present, showed no record of such an amount, either as an inflow or as a balance. Consequently, Mefor publicly requested that Obi clarify the actual location of the ₦2.13 billion he claimed to have left for his successor.

The commissioner also addressed the broader **Anambra inherited debt claims**, detailing eight external borrowings that remained outstanding after Obi's departure on March 17, 2014. These loans, which included projects such as the Malaria Control Booster Project, the Third National Fadama Development Project, and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, collectively amounted to ₦127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, when calculated at the official exchange rate. Mefor further contested Obi's assertion of no outstanding salaries, gratuities, or pensions, noting that the Soludo administration had since cleared approximately ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears. He emphasized that "legacy arrears remain from Obi and earlier administrations," specifically mentioning outstanding liabilities for retired teachers and staff of the Water Corporation, whose salary arrears persisted through the Obi administration and were eventually resolved under the current government.

This ongoing **Anambra government Peter Obi ecological fund dispute** highlights critical issues of financial transparency and accountability in public administration. The discrepancy between the former governor's claims of fiscal prudence and the current administration's detailed counter-arguments, supported by official financial records, underscores the challenges in managing and transitioning state finances. The specific details surrounding the **Peter Obi First Bank account 2018779464** and the **Anambra ₦2.13bn ecological fund claim** are central to this debate, raising questions about the accuracy of historical financial reporting and the clarity of fund designations.

The broader implications of these **Anambra inherited debt claims** extend to public trust and the continuity of governance. When administrations dispute the financial legacy left by their predecessors, it can complicate planning and resource allocation for ongoing and future projects. The detailed rebuttal provided by the **Law Mefor Anambra statement**, outlining specific loan balances and cleared gratuity arrears, emphasizes the importance of meticulous record-keeping and clear communication regarding public funds to ensure accountability across different political tenures.

Lawyers advising on public sector contracts, investments, or due diligence in Anambra State should note this dispute over historical financial records and inherited liabilities. It underscores the importance of scrutinizing state financial claims and potential discrepancies in public fund management when assessing risk or advising clients on engagements with the state government.

Source: Reporting based on publicly available statements.