Edo Governor-Elect Debunks $45m Chinese Loan Rumor for Benin Flyovers

Edo State Governor-elect Monday Okpebholo has refuted circulating rumours that he intends to secure a $45 million loan from a Chinese agency to fund flyover construction in Benin City. His media aide, Godspower Inegbe, clarified in a statement released in Abuja on Sunday that Okpebholo lacks any official capacity to obtain loans for the state government.

According to Inegbe, the misinformation stemmed from a recent photo of Okpebholo’s visit to the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai. The meeting, held at the ambassador’s invitation, reportedly sparked rumours that Okpebholo was negotiating a loan with China Exim Bank to fund three flyovers in the city.

The governor-elect’s statement emphasized that Okpebholo is committed to addressing existing debts accrued by the current administration, which he claimed lacked tangible developmental projects. He assured the public that he had no intentions of seeking additional loans, particularly ahead of his swearing-in.

Reacting to the controversy, Edo State Commissioner for Information Chris Nehikhare dismissed the claims, stating they were not sourced from Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration. Nehikhare added, “We don’t even know where the original statement came from. All we know is that the new government is set to begin on November 12.”