The Anambra State Government has escalated its political dispute with former Governor Peter Obi, alleging that more than 200 workers of the state Water Corporation died during his administration while waiting for unpaid entitlements. The claim was made by the Anambra State New Media Office, the communication platform of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration, in a post on X. The government called Obi “Anambra’s Pharaoh” and accused his administration of neglecting Water Corporation employees who were owed benefits.
It also challenged Obi’s previous claim that the corporation had become inactive, asking why his government still allocated funds to it in the budget. The statement said previous governors — Ezeife, Mbadinuju and Ngige — did not describe the corporation as dead, and questioned how money meant for the agency was allegedly given to private contractors as loans. The development followed the state government’s release of records it says show debts inherited from Obi’s tenure, including external loans and other liabilities.
Obi has rejected the allegations, insisting he left office without unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractor debts. The Soludo administration has continued to challenge his record, while Obi’s supporters dispute claims that his government left unresolved financial obligations. In its latest statement, the Anambra Government demanded answers on why an allegedly inactive corporation kept receiving budget allocations and how those funds were handled. Obi, who governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014, maintains that his administration cleared inherited liabilities and handed over a financially stable state.
