The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reignited debate over the liquidation of Nigeria Airways, accusing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of hypocrisy in his criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration.
Keyamo, in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, questioned Atiku’s comments on Nigeria’s current condition, drawing attention to the fate of former Nigeria Airways workers whose entitlements reportedly remained unpaid for years following the airline’s liquidation in 2004.
The minister argued that the administration in which Atiku served as vice-president should also be held accountable for the consequences of the national carrier’s collapse, particularly the hardship experienced by thousands of former employees.
According to Keyamo, many of the affected workers spent years seeking their pensions, gratuities and other outstanding entitlements, with some reportedly dying before receiving the payments they were owed.
He said President Bola Tinubu had approved and released ₦36 billion to settle the outstanding claims, adding that some beneficiaries had started receiving payment alerts.
“Twenty-two years later, after many of them have died out of frustration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now clearing the mess you left behind,” Keyamo stated.
The minister also claimed that the workers’ union had recently recognised Tinubu for the payment, describing the development as an intervention aimed at providing relief to former employees and their families.
Keyamo’s remarks appeared aimed at challenging Atiku’s criticism of the current administration by highlighting what he described as unresolved issues from the period when the former vice-president served under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He accused Atiku of taking credit for achievements associated with the Obasanjo administration when politically convenient while distancing himself from controversial decisions made during the same period.
“When it is convenient for you, you claim some credit for the Obasanjo-Atiku government, and when not convenient, you say Obasanjo was in charge and not you as Vice-President,” he said.
The minister further argued that younger Nigerians who might not be familiar with the history of Nigeria Airways needed to understand the circumstances surrounding its collapse and the outstanding obligations to its former workers.
Nigeria Airways, once the country’s national carrier, was liquidated in 2004 following years of financial difficulties. Its closure left thousands of workers affected and raised longstanding concerns over unpaid entitlements and Nigeria’s national aviation policy.
Atiku, who has emerged as a prominent opposition figure and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has repeatedly criticised the Tinubu administration over the country’s economic challenges.
Keyamo’s response adds another dimension to the ongoing political exchanges, shifting attention from the current economic situation to the record of previous administrations and their handling of public institutions.
However, the minister’s claims regarding the ₦36 billion payment and the extent of disbursements to former Nigeria Airways workers were not independently verified in the statement provided.
The exchange is likely to renew discussions about accountability for the collapse of Nigeria Airways, the welfare of its former employees and the responsibility of successive governments to settle outstanding obligations to Nigerians.
