Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo on Tuesday presented the 2025 budget estimate of about N605 billion, tagged “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” to the State House of Assembly.
The proposed budget figure is 25 per cent higher that that of 2024.
Following the presentation, a one-minute, 17-second video has been doing the rounds on social media, showing how the governor struggled to call out the budget figure.
“The Edo State 2025 budget… appropriation Bill of six billion, sixty and fifty, six hundred five billion, seventy-six thousand, seventy-six million, seventy-six… Let me take it again.
“Five hundred six billion, six hundred and five billion sorry, seven hundred, seventy-six billion, sorry. It is confusing me (noise echoes) Ok six …,” the obviously flustered governor said.
The Speaker intervened, saying, “order in the house please, Mr Speaker must be heard in silence please.”
Despite the hiccup, the governor pressed on with his presentation, admitting before the parliamentarians that the figure was “confusing him”.
“…six hundred and five billion and details of the budget propose, propose, proposal for your co-suggestion, consideration and approval. Thank you for your kind consideration,” he added.
Speaking in defence of the governor, the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, dismissed the backlash that followed the presentation, saying the criticism was unfounded.
He described the slip-up as a natural human error.
In a video message shared by Edo Updates on X.com on Wednesday, Tenebe said: “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. Humans make such mistakes, and a lot of people make such mistakes.”
Tenebe further claimed that the incident reflected Okpebholo’s integrity, contrasting him with past leaders in the state.
He said, “That is how to know original and innocent people. Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures.”
“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,” Tenebe concluded.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio suffered a similar slip while reading out figures at plenary sometime back.
Akpabio, had, after struggling with the figures, said “I’ll take that again,” before he gave up, saying “this money is too much for me o.”
