Edo State Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Sunday denied ever signing any deal with the Chinese government to the tune of $45.21m for building of flyover bridges in the State.
Assuring the people of Edo State that he would not be another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Governor like Godwin Obaseki, the Governor-elect 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.’
Okpebholo, who gave the assurance while reacting to allegations by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that he had signed a $45.21m deal with China Exim Bank said in a statement by his Media Aide, Godswill Inegbe, that as a Governor-elect, he was not in any official capacity to obtain any loan on behalf of the State.
Far from obtaining new loans, he said: “I am rather working on how to offset the numerous loans obtained by the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki administration without any correlating development.”
The full statement titled ‘Re: Ahead of Inauguration: Akpakomiza signs a $45.21m MoU with a Chinese Bank to build flyovers in Benin City with rider ‘Their lies and mischief have no end!’ reads:
“We wish to draw the attention of the general public to the mischievous publication, which is speculating 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 actually 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 internet was taken.
“The Governor-elect was not on a mission to sign any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China-Exim Bank for 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 that are spreading false rumours 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 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 belongs to Edo people to develop Edo State.
“Instead of resorting to promotion of lies and falsehoods, we expect the mischief makers to be apologising to the good people of the State while undergoing penance for their atrocities.We expect them to confess their sins and seek for forgiveness from the people of Edo State, whom they have traumatised financially, mentally, and otherwise in the past seven years!”
