Anambra State’s Commissioner for Information, Lawrence Mefor, has acknowledged a fresh discrepancy in debt figures attributed to former governor Peter Obi, marking the second time the state has been forced to revise its claims after facing public scrutiny.
A pattern of errors
The state had earlier claimed Obi owed $123.77 billion in debt, a figure later corrected to $123.77 million — a discrepancy of roughly a thousandfold that drew criticism online before officials quietly amended it.
The latest dispute arose when broadcaster Rufai Oseni of Arise TV challenged Mefor’s assertion that Obi had borrowed ₦123 billion from the Federal Government during his tenure as governor.
Broadcaster challenges official figure
“The ₦123 billion you quoted as money Peter Obi borrowed from the Federal Government is incorrect. He did not borrow it,” Oseni said. He added that any debt attributable to Obi’s administration, though not directly borrowed by him, would amount to roughly ₦30 billion — “because the state already had existing debts before the ₦30 billion.”
Commissioner concedes, promises verification
Responding to the challenge, Mefor conceded the point may be valid and committed to further investigation.
“Yes, you might be right that he is not owing it. We didn’t look at it from that angle,” Mefor said. He added that the state government would consult the Debt Management Office “to determine who actually owes those debts.”
The repeated inconsistencies have renewed scrutiny over the accuracy of debt figures cited by Anambra State officials regarding Obi’s time in office.
