11th December 2024, NewsOrient, News, Governance And Development, Law And Society, Politics
By Uche Eke, Reporter

Following criticisms trailing Governor Monday Okpebholo’s difficulty in pronouncing N650 billion while presenting his 2025 Budget before the Edo State House of Assembly, his political party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, has asked all his critics to “go to hell and burn to ashes.”

The political party also boasted that despite the criticized development, Monday Okpebholo, the governor, remains Edo State Governor.

NewsOrient reports that a now viral video has featured Monday Okpebholo, the Governor of Edo State, exhibiting great difficulty in pronouncing ‘N650 billion’ while presenting his 2025 Budget to the Edo State House of Assembly.

Since then, embarrassed Nigerians and other observers and stakeholders within and outside Nigeria have invaded social media to express varied reactions to the development.

Transcript of the blunder the governor made verbally, as captured in the viral video, is already in circulation. Part of it reads: “The Edo State 2025 Appropriation Bill of 6 billion… 650… 605 billion… 76 thou… 76 million…“Let me take it again. 506 billion… 605 billion… sorry… 776 billion… sorry, it’s confusing me…”

Some Nigerians, expressing anger over the implication of the development have made very weighty allegations and or deductions. For example, some argued that the governor’s blunder is a reflection of fallen standard of education and political elites’ deliberate efforts to ensure that Nigerians are never governed by their best sons and daughters.

Reacting to the hot criticisms, the governor’s political party, All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, said Gov Monday Okpobholo is human and is therefore susceptible to make mistakes.

Jarrett Tenebe, the Chairman of the APC in Edo State, said “mistake is common to humans.”

He said: “The Social media has been agog with our governor’s budget presentation about a mistake on 650 billion and the rest of it all. It’s a normal thing. (Jacob) Zuma made such a mistake, and a lot of people make such mistakes. I don’t know figures. You see, that is how to know original figures. Obaseki will not make such a mistake because he has stolen figures. Asue Ighodalo will not make such a mistake because he has stolen billions before.

“Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures. So, anybody who wants to talk can continue to talk. It’s nonsense.

“He’s the governor of the state, he’s performing, and he will continue to perform. And anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes, period, and thank you,”

NewsOrient reports that Edo State Governor Monday Okpobho’s 2025 Budget, his first as a State governor is titled: “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo.”

Monday Okpobholo was sworn in on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, following what his rivals in the last governorship election in the state described as a controversial election result that declared him elected as governor.

Photo Credit/Source: Wikipedia

~ NewsOrient

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