The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned plans by the Monday Okpebholo-led Edo State Government to float a state-owned airline, describing the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor governance.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, the PDP said the move showed a government disconnected from the pressing needs of Edo residents.
The opposition party said the idea of establishing an airline was unrealistic and insensitive, especially at a time the state was battling decaying infrastructure, worsening urban conditions and stalled strategic projects.
“Running an airline is capital-intensive, technically demanding, and historically disastrous for most sub-national governments in Nigeria,” the PDP said.
According to the party, such an initiative would require massive investment, continuous subsidies and high operational competence, which it said the current administration lacked.
The PDP lamented the condition of Benin City, describing it as a far cry from what a modern state capital should be.
“Roads within the metropolis are largely impassable, urban planning has collapsed, drainage systems are neglected, and basic municipal services are either weak or completely absent,” the statement read.
The party said the situation was embarrassing for a city with Benin’s history and potential.
The party also accused the administration of allowing critical projects inherited from previous governments to decline.
It cited the Museum of West African Art, the Radisson Hotel project, the Ossiomo power project and EdoGIS as initiatives that were either stalled or losing relevance.
“These failures strike at the heart of development, jobs, revenue generation and investor confidence,” the PDP said.
The PDP criticised the ongoing flyover projects at Ramat Park and Adesuwa Junction, describing them as expensive interventions that do not address the core challenges facing the state.
According to the party, Edo requires comprehensive road rehabilitation, drainage solutions, traffic management and urban renewal, rather than what it described as “headline-chasing spectacles.”
Against this backdrop, the PDP described the proposed airline as diversionary and lacking economic justification.
“When roads are barely motorable, public transport is chaotic, healthcare facilities are overstretched and schools lack basic infrastructure, proposing an airline betrays poor judgment,” the party said.
The party urged the state government to redirect limited resources to sectors with direct impact on residents, including road rehabilitation, drainage and flood control, education, healthcare, power and water supply, security and job creation.
“Edo State does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government prepared to confront them squarely on the ground,” the statement added.
The PDP called on the Edo State Government to abandon the airline plan and focus on what it described as realistic, people-centred development priorities.
“Anything less reinforces the growing perception of a government without direction, competence or a coherent development agenda,” the party stated.