The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on Nigeria’s economic challenges, accusing him of hypocrisy over the collapse of Nigeria Airways.
Keyamo, in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, said the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in which Atiku served as vice-president, liquidated the national carrier in September 2004, leaving thousands of workers without jobs and unpaid pensions and gratuities.
Describing Atiku’s remarks as “hypocrisy at its peak,” the minister said former Nigeria Airways workers had endured years of hardship while waiting for their outstanding entitlements.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved and released ₦36bn to settle the outstanding payments, adding that some beneficiaries had begun 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 added that the President had recently received an award from the workers’ union in recognition of the intervention.
Keyamo further accused Atiku of taking credit for decisions made by the Obasanjo administration when convenient while distancing himself from its actions at other times.
He also warned that younger Nigerians unfamiliar with the history of the defunct airline could be misled by the former vice-president’s criticism of the current administration.
Atiku had earlier criticised the rising cost of living and insecurity, promising to make life more affordable and restore security if elected president in 2027. He also urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the general election.