Peter Obi Did Not Pay Anambra Water Corporation Staff, Gave Reasons, Aide Say
Valentine Obienyem, media aide to former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, has explained why the former governor did not settle pension and gratuity arrears owed to workers of the Anambra Water Corporation during his administration.
Obienyem said Obi paid outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to Anambra retirees but excluded workers of the Water Corporation because the agency was already moribund when he assumed office and was expected to generate its own income.
According to him, the instrument establishing the corporation also required it to generate revenue, while Obi held several meetings with its officials and asked them to present a blueprint for reviving the organisation.
“He did not pay those of the Water Corporation, and he gave his reasons,” Obienyem said.
He explained that the corporation “was moribund even before he became Governor,” adding that Obi repeatedly sought proposals from its management on how it could be revived.
“He held several meetings with them, requesting that they bring him a blueprint for its revival, but they did nothing,” he said.
Obienyem also questioned claims that workers of the corporation remain unpaid, pointing to reports and a paid advertisement attributed to the administration of Willie Obiano in 2014 stating that the government had settled the workers’ outstanding payments.
“Curiously, in 2014, Governor Willie Obiano, in a paid advertisement and in news publications, said that his government had paid them,” he said.
The media aide said he was therefore surprised that the issue had resurfaced, given the earlier reports of payment.
“Now, I am surprised that the issue of non-payment is coming up again,” Obienyem said.
He called for an investigation to establish the actual status of the alleged arrears and determine whether the workers are still owed money.
“I think that, at this point, a panel of inquiry should be set up to determine the truth,” he said.
Obienyem also raised questions about whether the workers were being used for another purpose, while acknowledging that such a suggestion remained speculative.
“Are we sure these people are not being used for some other business? This is conjectural, of course,” he said.
He further noted the apparent contradiction between previous reports that the workers had been paid and current claims that the arrears remain outstanding.
“Even those who published reports of the payment by Obiano are now the ones saying that they are still owed. We need to get to the heart of the matter,” Obienyem said.
