‘I Did Not Sign $45.21m Flyover Deal with China’, Okpebholo Replies PDP
Sahara Weekly Reports That Edo State Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has denied ever signing any deal with the Chinese government to the tune of $45.21m for flyover bridges.
He, therefore assured the people of the state that he would not be another memorandum of understanding (MoU) governor like Godwin Obaseki.
Okpebholo gave the assurance weekend while reacting to an allegation by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that he had signed a $45.21m deal with China Exim Bank.
The senator, who gave the assurance in a statement by his media aide, Godswill Inegbe, said he would not be distracted by the outbursts of those who are ‘still licking their wounds after losing the September 21 governorship election in the state.’
Putting a lie to the write-up, Okpebholo explained that as a governor-elect, he was not in any official capacity to obtain any loan on behalf of the State.
He said: “I am rather working on how to offset the numerous loans obtained by the outgoing Gov Godwin Obaseki administration without any correlating
development.
Full text of the statement…
Re: Ahead of Inauguration: Akpakomiza signs a $45.21m MoU with a Chinese Bank to build flyovers in Benin City.
Their lies and mischief have no end!
We wish to draw the attention of the general public to the mischievous publication, which speculates that the winner of the 21st November governorship election in Edo state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was in talks with a Chinese agency to obtain a loan of $45.21 million to execute the construction of three flyovers in Benin city.
Ordinarily, we would not have bothered to react to such distractions but since our investigation has revealed that the report was orchestrated by those still licking their wounds from the recent defeat, we are constrained to put the record straight.
The Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on invitation, was in the office of the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria in Abuja when the photograph they are now sharing on the internet was taken.
The Governor-elect was not on a mission to sign any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China-Exim Bank for a loan, as dubiously claimed in the said publication.
Understandably, as Governor-elect, Senator Okpebholo is not in any official capacity to obtain any loan on behalf of the State; rather, he is working on how to offset the numerous loans obtained by the outgoing administration without any correlating development.
The Governor-elect, being a realist, will not build his administration on MoUs, and neither will he become another MoU Governor of Edo State.
The agents of the outgoing administration and members of the defeated PDP who are spreading false rumors about the Governor-elect should focus on the transition process, which, in any case, they are working tirelessly to truncate.
The Governor-elect will not take advice from those who have failed and mortgaged the future of the Edo people over the past seven years.
The Governor-elect will not be a looter of public funds as Governor of Edo state; rather, he will judiciously manage the resources that belong to Edo people to develop Edo State.
Instead of resorting to the promotion of lies and falsehoods, we expect the mischief-makers to apologize to the good people of the State while undergoing penance for their atrocities.
We expect them to confess their sins and seek forgiveness from the people of Edo State, whom they have traumatized financially, mentally, and otherwise in the past seven years!
E-Signed:
Godswill Inegbe,
S.A Media to Senator Monday Okpebholo,
October 27, 2024.
