Podium Reporters gathered that a video surfaced on the X page of Anambra State New Media showing human rights lawyer Barr. Obele storming the Anambra State House of Assembly under Speaker Hon. Anayo Nebe to confront the Peter Obi administration over unpaid salaries of over 700 workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation for 42 months.
According to the thread, Barr. Obele queried why N800m budgeted for workers’ salaries was diverted to a private contractor as a loan while workers and their families suffered. He called for the sack of the Special Adviser to the then Governor Peter Obi on Utilities, Engr. Nick Obi, and urged the House to consider impeachment against Gov. Obi for breaching the constitution.
The Anambra State Government has since doubled down on the allegation, insisting that verified salaries, gratuity, and pension owed to retired teachers and staff of the Water Corporation remained unpaid after Obi left office. The government also alleged that unpaid salary, pension, and gratuity obligations persisted from that period, contradicting Obi’s claims that his administration cleared all inherited arrears. A commissioner in the state further stated that the Obi administration had verified 16 months of outstanding salaries and agreed to settle the debt in instalments, yet the arrears persisted throughout his tenure and eventually resulted in court processes and judgments.
Podium Reporters gathered that the X thread, posted on September 19, 2026, includes a video of the protest and the legislative confrontation, citing it as documentary evidence of the salary crisis that engulfed the Water Corporation during Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State.
The controversy has escalated into a national political dispute, with the Presidency challenging Obi to quit the 2027 presidential race if the Anambra government’s records are proven accurate. The state government also released details of eight external loans contracted during Obi’s administration, originally valued at $123.77m, which covered projects including malaria control, healthcare, education, community development, erosion control, and agricultural value-chain development. The loans listed included the Malaria Control Booster Project, with an outstanding balance of $92.35m, equivalent to ₦127.37bn, as of June 30, 2026.