The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has criticised the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo over what it described as a continued campaign against the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, and major investments in Edo South.
Naijaonpoint reports that the party accused the current government of focusing its energy on discrediting projects carried out under the Obaseki administration, rather than presenting clear development plans.
It said the latest target of this approach is the Radisson Hotel project in Benin City.
In a statement signed by the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, the party said comments credited to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, were misleading and aimed at confusing the public.
According to the PDP, since assuming office, the Okpebholo administration has consistently moved against legacy projects that were designed to boost the state’s economy.
The party listed several projects it said had come under attack, including the Museum of West African Art, the 95-megawatt Ossiomo Power Project, Saro Farms and its ethanol investment in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, the Edo Printing Press at the Nigerian Observer premises, and Presco Plc.
The PDP said these projects were conceived to create jobs and attract investors, but were now being questioned without a proper understanding.
The PDP stated that the Radisson Hotel project had become another casualty of what it described as a politics driven by hostility rather than ideas.
It argued that the administration was trying to dismantle projects it did not initiate, not because they failed, but because they raised the bar for development in the state.
Responding to allegations surrounding the Radisson Hotel project, the party explained that the funding structure followed global standards of development financing.
It said the Edo State Government’s contribution of ₦2 billion was provided as seed equity to attract private investors, while other funds were issued as loans to a Special Purpose Vehicle, with repayment tied to the project’s assets and future income.
The PDP added that the state’s investment in the hotel had grown in value even before operations began, placing its worth at over ₦65 billion, with expectations of further growth once the hotel becomes fully operational.
It also rejected claims that the project was sold cheaply or handed over to associates of the former governor, stating that Obaseki had no direct or indirect ownership in the hotel at any time.
In a separate statement, former Media Adviser to Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, also criticised the Okpebholo administration, accusing it of slowing down projects capable of creating jobs and driving economic growth.
He said the repeated attacks on investments were being used to divert attention from the absence of a clear development plan.
Osagie explained that the Radisson Hotel project was part of a wider tourism plan that included the Museum of West African Art, the Benin Royal Museum, support for the National Museum at Ring Road, and other hospitality facilities meant to position Edo as a major tourism destination.
He said that after the initial government involvement, the hotel project was transferred to a private investor at a much higher value than the state’s original investment.
According to him, the private investor took over the assets and liabilities, while Edo State retained a 20 per cent equity stake in the business.
Osagie warned that these projects were expected to provide direct and indirect employment for at least 50,000 people, adding that negative campaigns and prolonged disputes were harming job creation and discouraging investors from coming to the state.
Both the PDP and Osagie called on Edo residents to question the impact of driving away investors and dragging projects through investigations and court cases, asking how such actions would lead to jobs, economic growth, and better living conditions for the people.