The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State on Friday condemned the state government’s plan to establish a state-owned airline.
The party, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of disconnected governance.
Governor Monday Okpebholo unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.
Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government that is out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting the people of Edo State.
“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive,” he said.
He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.
According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be
He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems, and weak municipal services across the state capital.
“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage, and enormous potential,” the PDP spokesman stated.
Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.
He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”
He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.
Against this background, the PDP spokesman described the airline proposal as a diversionary project devoid of economic sense.
 in Edo State on Friday condemned the state government’s plan to establish a state-owned airline.){kind=link}