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Nigeria Airways: Keyamo Tears Into Atiku Over Hardship Claims, Says Tinubu Cleaning ₦36bn ‘Mess’ He Left Behind
Nigeria Airways: Keyamo Tears Into Atiku Over Hardship Claims, Says Tinubu Cleaning ₦36bn ‘Mess’ He Left Behind
Keyamo accuses Atiku of hypocrisy for attacking the Tinubu administration over economic hardship and insecurity
Says Obasanjo-Atiku government liquidated Nigeria Airways and left former workers battling for unpaid entitlements
Minister says Tinubu has released ₦36 billion to clear outstanding claims, with beneficiaries already receiving payments
Attack follows Atiku’s 2027 pledge to make life affordable, restore security and call on Nigerians to collect PVCs
October 14, () – The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has accused former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of hypocrisy over his criticism of the economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians, saying President Bola Tinubu is now spending ₦36 billion to clean up the “mess” allegedly left by the administration in which Atiku served.
Keyamo, in a post on his X account on Wednesday, anchored his attack on the liquidation of Nigeria Airways and the decades-long struggle by former workers of the defunct national carrier to receive their outstanding pensions, gratuities and other entitlements.
His response followed comments by Atiku criticising the rising cost of living and insecurity in the country and promising to make life more affordable and restore security if elected President in 2027.
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Atiku, who served as Vice President to former President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, had also urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general election.
But Keyamo said Atiku could not attack the current administration over the condition of Nigerians without being confronted with the record of the government in which he served.
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“Your Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, this is hypocrisy at its peak! Let me just talk only about the sector that I head, Aviation”, Keyamo wrote.
The minister accused the Obasanjo-Atiku administration of liquidating Nigeria Airways and leaving thousands of its employees jobless without settling their pensions and gratuities.
He said the affected workers subsequently endured years of hardship while pursuing their entitlements, with some dying before the outstanding claims could be resolved.
“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 added.
According to the minister, Tinubu recently approved and released ₦36 billion to settle outstanding claims owed to the former workers, with payments already reaching beneficiaries.
“Over a month ago, Mr President approved and released the total sum of N36bn to bring succour to these families. They have started receiving alerts and praying for Mr President”, he noted.
“In fact, the President was given an award for this by the workers’ union a few weeks ago.”
‘You Can’t Hoodwink Younger Nigerians’
Keyamo also accused Atiku of attempting to take advantage of the limited knowledge younger Nigerians may have of his record as Vice President.
“Yet you sit down there and pontificate? It’s only the younger ones who don’t know your history you can attempt to hoodwink, but we will expose you to them”, he said.
He further accused the former Vice President of selectively identifying with the record of the Obasanjo administration, claiming credit for its decisions when politically advantageous but distancing himself from controversial actions of the same government.
“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”, Keyamo added.
Atiku Promises Affordable Living, Improved Security
Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC Atiku Abubakar
Keyamo’s broadside came after Atiku renewed his criticism of the Tinubu administration over the economic and security challenges facing Nigerians.
The ADC presidential candidate said Nigerians were struggling with the rising cost of living and insecurity and pledged to pursue policies that would make life more affordable and restore security if elected in 2027.
Atiku also urged registered voters to collect their PVCs, putting voter mobilisation at the centre of his latest political message ahead of the election.
The exchange underscores the increasingly combative political contest between the Tinubu administration and Atiku as the country moves towards the 2027 presidential election, with both sides seeking to frame the debate around their respective records in government.
Nigeria Airways And Decades-Long Entitlement Dispute
Nigeria Airways was established in 1958 as the country’s national airline and at its peak operated an extensive domestic and international network.
However, years of mounting debts, mismanagement, declining operations and a shrinking fleet pushed the carrier into severe financial difficulties.
The Federal Government eventually moved to liquidate the airline during the Obasanjo administration, with the carrier ceasing operations in 2003 and the winding-up process extending into the following period.
The liquidation triggered a prolonged dispute over the severance, pension and other entitlements of thousands of former workers.
Successive administrations subsequently faced pressure from the former employees and their unions to settle the outstanding liabilities.
The Federal Government has over the years made payments to verified former workers, but disputes over outstanding entitlements persisted, keeping the consequences of the airline’s liquidation alive more than two decades after its collapse.
It is against this background that Keyamo said Tinubu approved the latest ₦36 billion payment to bring relief to affected former workers and their families.
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