By Chinwendu Obienyi
Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, yesterday, said he inherited a debt of over N100 billion and cash of about N300 or N400 million from his predecessor, Chief Willie Obiano.
The revelation came after Obiano was arrested for alleged corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to Houston, Texas, US, last Thursday after handing over.
Soludo, who spoke on Arise Television programme, said he inherited a state whose financial position was “not quite robust” but promised to run a transparent accounting system.
“In fact, let’s not talk about it. Our treasury is funny. I hope we shall make money henceforth to help us fulfil our promises for infrastructure and development of the state… But in terms of what I met in our coffers, my brother, it’s pathetic. Please let us not go there. God will help us…
“First, in terms of finances, there is an audited account of Anambra as at December 31, 2021 which is a public document which anyone can access. Between the audited accounts as at the end of the year 2021, everyone knows that the state finances are not quite robust. In terms of debt, it is in the range of over N100 billion and then cash at which the state has is N300 or N400 million, but we are still going to have all the reconciliations and all the accounts from January to the date we had the handover.
“Anambra State intends to have a transparent public finance management where we are going to publish our accounts so that everyone will have a knowledge of what is there and what is missing and what funds have been used for.”
On insecurity, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor said there were ongoing discussions with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other stakeholders on how to tackle the menace and also end the sit-at-home order on Mondays.
“After the swearing in, I went into the office straight away and a few minutes after that I started the security council meeting of the state which lasted more than three hours. The conversations about that are still ongoing and I believe that we will get to crack it and the sit at home thing will definitely end.
“We are in discussions with the stakeholders, IPOB and everyone else and it is the people’s power that will prevail at the end of the day. The poor innocent artisans like keke driver, traders are suffering, but for the elite, they can afford to watch TV and so the state is losing out as its people are impoverishing. We are determined to restore law and order.”
Soludo in his inaugural speech last week Thursday in Awka had lamented the economic losses incurred by the South East states each day a sit-at-home is observed.
“Every day, there is a sit at home these poor masses lose an estimated N19.6 billion in Anambra alone. Due to the protracted breakdown of law and order, businesses are relocating outside Igboland, with growing unemployment, and traders who used to come to shop in Onitsha, Aba etc are going elsewhere. Who is losing? By forcing our children—the future of Igboland—to stay at home instead of being in school, while even the critically sick people (including pregnant women) cannot go to hospital, we harm our future,” he said.