- Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo called out Atiku Abubakar over the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in September 2004 during the administration he served
- Keyamo said billions of naira in pensions and gratuities were left unpaid to thousands of former Nigeria Airways workers after the carrier was shut down
- President Tinubu approved N36bn to settle the outstanding payments owed to ex-Nigeria Airways workers, with beneficiaries already receiving alerts
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo fired back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday, accusing him of hypocrisy for criticising the current administration while his own tenure left thousands of Nigeria Airways workers without jobs or retirement benefits.
Keyamo made the accusation in a post on his official X account, pointing to the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in September 2004 as a defining failure of the administration in which Atiku served as vice president. He said the closure left a large number of workers stranded, with their pensions and gratuities unpaid and amounting to billions of naira.
Keyamo targets Atiku on Nigeria Airways record
The minister said the former workers spent years fighting to recover entitlements they were owed, a situation he blamed directly on the Obasanjo-Atiku administration. He also accused Atiku of selectively claiming credit for decisions taken during that government when it suits him politically, while walking away from accountability for the failures.
Keyamo added that President Bola Tinubu had stepped in to resolve a problem that had lingered for two decades, approving and releasing N36 billion to clear the outstanding payments owed to former Nigeria Airways workers. He said beneficiaries had already begun receiving payment alerts.
The minister also accused Atiku of trying to mislead younger Nigerians who have no memory of the defunct national carrier or the circumstances that led to its collapse.
Atiku had pledged to restore affordable living
The exchange was triggered by a post Atiku shared on his official X account on Wednesday. In it, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate criticised the rising cost of living and insecurity across Nigeria, promising to make life affordable and restore order if elected. He also urged registered voters to pick up their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku was ratified as the presidential candidate of the NDC for the 2027 general elections on May 29, 2026.
You can read Keyamo's full statement on X here:
Source: Legit.ng
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