It asked those making the allegations to establish the number of workers employed by the Water Corporation during Obi’s tenure, the number allegedly lost during the period and comparable figures from administrations before and after him.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The media office of former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged claims that workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation were owed salary arrears during his administration, as well as allegations that about 200 employees of the corporation died while he was in office.
The office described the allegations as a renewed attempt to discredit the record of the former governor, urging those making the claims to produce official records to substantiate them.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information to Obi, Chief Barr. Jeo-Martins Uzodike, it said claims concerning the alleged deaths of workers should be subjected to scrutiny, particularly against verifiable records of the corporation’s workforce.
It asked those making the allegations to establish the number of workers employed by the Water Corporation during Obi’s tenure, the number allegedly lost during the period and comparable figures from administrations before and after him.
“Are Water Corporation workers uniquely susceptible to death under one administration and not under others?” the statement asked.
It maintained that allegations of such magnitude should not be based on assertions but supported by official records that can be independently verified.
The statement also disputed claims concerning the financial condition of the Water Corporation and the welfare of its workers, saying the corporation’s responsibilities and funding arrangements should be considered within the provisions of the Anambra State Water Corporation Law, Cap. 150.
According to the statement, Sections 4(1) and 26 of the law assign the corporation responsibility for the development, provision, conservation and distribution of water, while also requiring it to generate sufficient revenue from its operations to meet its working expenses.
It said the Obi administration nevertheless intervened in the corporation’s challenges, with the former governor holding discussions with its management on several occasions and asking it to produce a workable blueprint for improving water supply across the state.
The statement said Obi offered government support, including financial assistance or guaranteed borrowing, subject to the provisions of the law.
It, however, alleged that the corporation’s management failed to produce actionable solutions, prompting the administration to seek an alternative intervention through a partnership with the European Union.
“The Obi administration partnered with the European Union to rehabilitate major waterworks in Nnewi, Onitsha and Awka,” it said, adding that the rehabilitation programme was still ongoing when Obi left office in 2014.
The statement also cited the provision of boreholes in more than 300 schools as another intervention by the administration to improve access to water in public institutions.
On the alleged salary arrears, Obi’s office said the claim was inconsistent with government statements and actions taken in 2014 following court proceedings and subsequent administrative measures.
It recalled that government statements and paid advertisements published at the time announced the settlement of claimed salary arrears and other financial liabilities owed to Water Corporation workers.
The statement therefore questioned why the same alleged liabilities had resurfaced in current public discourse.
It said, “If the salary arrears and other financial liabilities owed to Water Corporation workers were announced as settled in 2014, how have the same liabilities now re-emerged as an allegation against the administration that left office in 2014?”
The former governor’s office also used the opportunity to restate Obi’s position on his financial record during his eight years in office.
According to the statement, Obi maintained that his administration did not borrow from commercial banks or raise a bond during his tenure.
It further claimed that he left office without outstanding obligations to contractors and suppliers for completed and certified projects, without arrears of pensions and gratuities, and with funds remaining in the state treasury.
The statement also challenged descriptions of some development financing secured during the administration as conventional borrowing.
It alleged that concessionary development financing arranged between financial institutions and the Federal Government had sometimes been presented as loans contracted directly by the Anambra State Government.
It further claimed that some of the same financing arrangements were subsequently utilised by administrations that have themselves maintained that they did not borrow.
Uzodike urged Nigerians to assess the renewed allegations against Obi on the basis of documentary evidence, existing laws and the administrative records of the period under review.
He said the former governor remained focused on his political ambitions despite the renewed scrutiny of his record in Anambra State.
“Mr Peter Obi is on the move, ready and prepared to serve his country at the highest level,” the statement said.