The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, has defended Governor Monday Okpebholo over his inability to accurately read out the budget figures he presented to the State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
THEWILL reports that the Governor, on Tuesday, presented his first Appropriation Bill of N605 billion for the 2025 fiscal year at the Edo State House of Assembly.
A video of the governor struggling to pronounce the figure for the state’s 2025 budget went viral shortly after he made the presentation, sparking widespread reactions across the country.
However, reacting to Governor Okpebholo’s gaffes, Tenebe said he was unfamiliar with figures because he was not a thief.
“The social media has been agog with our governor’s budget presentation, about mistake on N650 billion and the rest of it all. It is a normal thing. Zuma (former South African President Jacob Zuma) made such mistakes and a lot of people make such mistakes.
“I don’t know figures. You see, that is how to know original and innocent people. Obaseki (immediate past Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki) will not make such mistake because he has stolen billions before. Asue Ighodalo will not make such mistake because he has stolen billions before.
“Monday Okpebholo is not a thief, so he is not familiar with figures. So, anybody who wants to talk can continue to talk. It is nonsense. He is the governor of the state and he is the governor of the state. And he is performing, he is performing and he will continue to perform and anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes. Period!” he said.
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