Anambra Releases ₦473m Salary Arrears Document as Obi’s Debt Claim Sparks Fresh Dispute

The Anambra State Government has released a 2024 payment document relating to ₦473 million in salary arrears owed to former workers and pensioners of two defunct state agencies, intensifying its dispute with former governor Peter Obi over the financial obligations he allegedly left behind.

The latest document concerns the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation (ANSWC) and the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA). It was released by the state government as part of its response to Obi’s repeated claim that he left office in March 2014 without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations.

According to the document, the Anambra Government approved ₦473 million as the first tranche of payments to affected staff, pensioners and next of kin. The payment followed an out-of-court settlement reached between the state government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) on February 6, 2024.

The settlement provided for further payments totalling ₦1.09 billion, with ₦363.381 million scheduled for each of 2025, 2026 and 2027.

The development has become significant in the ongoing Peter Obi-Anambra debt controversy, after Obi challenged the state government to prove that he left behind unpaid obligations when he handed over power to Willie Obiano in 2014.

Obi has maintained that his administration cleared historical arrears and left the state without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or verified payments due to contractors.

Speaking recently on Arise TV’s Prime Time, Obi said he did not borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra State during his tenure.

He also said that, at the point of handover, the state was not owing salaries, pensions or gratuities that were due, nor contractors whose projects had been executed, certified and verified.

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Obi has previously said his administration systematically cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears inherited from previous administrations.

The Anambra Government, however, has presented a different account.

The state government has said it inherited outstanding liabilities involving retired teachers and workers of the Water Corporation, among others.

It has also released Debt Management Office (DMO) records which it said showed outstanding external loan obligations associated with previous administrations.

The government put the outstanding balance of eight external loans at about ₦127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, based on its presentation.

The Soludo administration has also said it has cleared about ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears, while maintaining that some legacy liabilities remained.

The latest salary-arrears document strengthens the government’s claim that substantial financial obligations involving former workers and pensioners of the two defunct agencies were eventually settled under the Soludo administration.

However, the existence of the 2024 settlement and subsequent payments does not, by itself, establish when every component of the arrears accrued or conclusively show that all the liabilities originated under Obi’s administration.

That distinction is important because some of the salary arrears referenced by the state government may have originated before Obi assumed office and could have been inherited from an earlier administration.

The central disagreement therefore remains whether the outstanding liabilities being settled in 2024 and subsequent years should be attributed wholly or partly to Obi’s administration, earlier administrations, or the accumulation of obligations over several years.

The Anambra Government has nevertheless continued to use the documents to challenge Obi’s assertion that he left the state without unpaid financial obligations.

Obi, on his part, has challenged the government to provide documentary evidence proving that he left Anambra with the debts and arrears being attributed to his administration.

He has also said he would stop his 2027 presidential campaign if the state can establish the claim.

The dispute has now expanded beyond the original argument over loans to include salary arrears, pensions, gratuities, contractor liabilities and the management of funds allegedly left behind by previous administrations.

Both sides continue to rely on official records and documents to support their positions, but they differ sharply in their interpretation of what those records establish about Anambra’s financial position when Obi left office.

The latest ₦473 million salary-arrears document, therefore, adds another piece of evidence to the increasingly contentious debate over the former governor’s financial record, while leaving unresolved the crucial question of when the underlying arrears were incurred and which administration was responsible for them.

Anambra Releases ₦473m Salary Arrears Document as Obi’s Debt Claim Sparks Fresh Dispute

Jetour Nigeria displays hi-tech, luxury, art at Abuja Experience

Jetour Nigeria has turned its Abuja Experience into a colourful fusion of hi-tech automobiles, luxury and art, attracting automobile enthusiasts, prospective buyers and art lovers to an exhibition designed to showcase a new dimension of motoring and lifestyle.

The three-day event, which opened on Tuesday at the Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki, Abuja, has brought together an impressive collection of Jetour SUVs and new-generation vehicles, alongside art displays that added colour and creativity to the automobile showcase.

Rather than a conventional vehicle exhibition, the Abuja Experience offered visitors an opportunity to interact with Jetour’s technology-driven vehicles, examine their luxury features and immerse themselves in an artistic presentation that appealed to both young and older enthusiasts.

Among the vehicles on display are the Jetour X50, X70 Plus, X70 PHEV, X90 Plus, T2, T2 PHEV, Dashing, Rely R8, G700, as well as the newly introduced T1 and F700.

The event, which ends today, Thursday, September 24, is the latest stage in Jetour Nigeria’s strategy of taking its products closer to customers while strengthening its presence in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states.

On the first day, discussions centred on Jetour’s product philosophy, technology, safety and the changing preferences of Nigerian motorists.

Speaking during the first panel session, Managing Director of New Era AutoVehicle Services, Kemi Koyejo, said Jetour’s growing product portfolio was designed to cater for the diverse needs of Nigerian motorists.

Koyejo described Jetour vehicles as a combination of luxury, safety and technology, stressing that there was “no one-size-fits-all product” because motorists have different needs and lifestyles.

She explained the philosophy behind the Jetour name—“Jet plus Tour”—saying the brand was intentional about making mobility more enjoyable.

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According to her, Jetour was “forward-looking”, with a product strategy covering petrol-powered vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrid technologies under its corporate tagline, “Drive Your Future.”

Executive Director, Elizade Nigeria Limited, Dr Ademola Philip-Adewunmi, identified after-sales support and spare-parts availability as critical to sustaining Jetour’s growth in Nigeria.

He disclosed that Jetour had sold about 1,000 units in Nigeria within three years, adding that motorists were increasingly researching and comparing vehicles before making purchasing decisions.

He said buyers now demanded a combination of aesthetics, technology, connectivity, performance and value for money.

Adewunmi also disclosed that Jetour vehicles come with a five-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty, while customers have access to trade-in opportunities.

On safety, Corps Commander Cherries Muta of the Federal Road Safety Corps said technologies deployed in Jetour vehicles, including sensors and driver-warning systems, could contribute to safer driving.

Art meets automobile

The second day introduced another dimension to the experience, as artworks were displayed alongside Jetour’s vehicles, creating a meeting point between automotive design, technology, luxury and contemporary art.

The art exhibition attracted an audience comprising young and older lovers of quality automobiles and art, with the producers explaining the concepts and intentions behind the works.

The presentation added a creative and cultural dimension to the automobile showcase, with visitors moving between the vehicles and artworks while engaging with the artists and exploring the ideas behind their creations.

The event also featured cultural performances and a second panel session focusing on mobility entrepreneurship and emerging opportunities across Nigeria.

Jetour Vice President, Yuan Anguo, thanked Nigerian customers for their confidence in the brand, assuring them that the company remained committed to developing its business in Nigeria and across Africa.

The Abuja Experience, according to the organisers, is part of Jetour Nigeria’s broader effort to deepen customer engagement, expand its market presence and present mobility not simply as transportation, but as an experience combining technology, comfort, lifestyle and creativity.

Jetour Nigeria displays hi-tech, luxury, art at Abuja Experience

NLC Backs ₦500 Petrol Demand, Workers Propose ₦500,000 Salary

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed demands by public-sector workers for the Federal Government to reduce the price of petrol to ₦500 per litre, while the workers have proposed a minimum monthly salary of ₦500,000 for Grade Level 01, Step 1 officers under a new public-service salary structure.

The demands were contained in a letter by the Trade Union Side of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, amid renewed concerns over rising fuel prices and the worsening cost-of-living crisis.

The workers gave the Federal Government until September 30, 2026, to respond to their demands, which cover petrol prices, wage awards, salary reviews and negotiations for a new wage structure.

The JNPSNC called for an intervention capable of bringing the petrol pump price down to ₦500 per litre, arguing that the rising cost of fuel has significantly increased transportation expenses and contributed to higher prices of food and other essential goods and services.

The demand comes amid another increase in petrol prices in Nigeria, with pump prices rising in several parts of the country following higher crude oil prices in the international market.

The labour movement has argued that the impact of rising fuel costs extends beyond motorists, as increased transportation and energy expenses raise the cost of moving agricultural produce, manufacturing goods and other commodities.

The NLC has therefore called for measures to cushion workers and households from the effects of the latest price increases.

On wages, the JNPSNC proposed a new salary structure under which a Grade Level 01, Step 1 public servant would earn ₦500,000 monthly.

The figure is important because it is a proposal by the workers, not an approved national minimum wage.

The proposed ₦500,000 salary is also specifically linked to the public-service salary structure being sought by the JNPSNC ahead of January 2027. It should not be presented as though the Federal Government has agreed to increase Nigeria’s statutory national minimum wage to ₦500,000.

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Nigeria’s current statutory national minimum wage remains ₦70,000 per month, following the 2024 wage agreement and legislation.

The workers are seeking negotiations for a new wage structure while also asking for an immediate Wage Award for employees at the Federal, State and Local Government levels as a short-term response to current economic pressures.

The proposed wage award is separate from the longer-term salary review and any future agreement on the national minimum wage.

The JNPSNC wants the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to begin discussions with labour representatives and other stakeholders on the proposed wage award and salary adjustments.

The workers said rising inflation, transportation costs, food prices, housing expenses, healthcare costs and education fees had reduced the purchasing power of existing salaries.

They also called for salaries and allowances across the public service to be reviewed upward and for future salary adjustments to take inflation into account.

According to the workers, linking periodic salary reviews to inflation would help prevent employees’ earnings from losing substantial purchasing power between major wage negotiations.

The labour side also demanded subsidised transportation and affordable housing for public servants as part of measures to ease the pressure on workers.

On the petroleum sector, the workers backed calls for greater availability of crude oil in naira to local refineries, arguing that increased domestic refining and local crude supply could reduce exposure to international oil-market shocks.

The NLC has previously advocated measures to strengthen local refining and improve domestic energy security as part of efforts to reduce pressure on consumers.

The workers also rejected the idea of relying mainly on food palliatives to address the hardship, arguing that temporary relief does not adequately compensate for the loss of purchasing power caused by higher transportation and living costs.

They instead called for measures that would address the underlying drivers of the rising cost of living.

The latest demands come as the downstream petroleum market faces renewed price pressure despite increased domestic refining capacity.

Higher international crude prices have raised input costs for refiners, contributing to increases in the wholesale and retail prices of petrol.

The development has renewed debate over how much protection Nigeria’s expanding domestic refining capacity can provide against global oil-price movements.

For organised labour, however, the immediate concern is the effect of higher fuel prices on workers and households.

The JNPSNC expects the Federal Government to respond to its demands by September 30, while also looking ahead to negotiations for a new salary and wage framework from January 2027.

The council has indicated that it expects the President’s forthcoming Independence Day address to address some of the concerns raised by workers.

The proposed ₦500,000 salary therefore remains a labour demand awaiting negotiation and possible government consideration. It is not the current national minimum wage and does not mean that all Nigerian workers are automatically entitled to ₦500,000 monthly.

Similarly, the proposed ₦500 petrol price is a demand for government intervention and does not represent the current regulated or prevailing pump price across Nigeria.

The labour demands reflect growing pressure from organised workers for government action as households and businesses contend with higher fuel prices, transportation costs and living expenses.

NLC Backs ₦500 Petrol Demand, Workers Propose ₦500,000 Salary