The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of being inconsistent in his criticism of Nigeria’s economic challenges, citing the collapse of the defunct Nigeria Airways and unpaid benefits owed to its former employees.
Keyamo made the allegation in a post on his X account on Wednesday, claiming that the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in which Atiku served as vice-president, oversaw the liquidation of the national carrier in September 2004.
He said the airline’s closure left thousands of workers without jobs, while many were unable to receive their pensions and gratuities for years.
“Your Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, this is hypocrisy at its peak! Let me just talk only about the sector that I head, Aviation,” the minister wrote.
Keyamo alleged that the former employees were forced to wait for years for their entitlements, which he said ran into billions of naira, with some dying before receiving their benefits.
He credited President Bola Tinubu’s administration with approving and releasing N36bn to settle the outstanding payments, adding that some beneficiaries had begun receiving payment notifications.
“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,” he stated.
The minister added that the President had received an award from the workers’ union in recognition of the intervention, arguing that the payment would provide relief to affected former employees and their families.
Keyamo also accused Atiku of distancing himself from decisions taken by the Obasanjo administration when politically inconvenient, while claiming credit for the government’s achievements at other times.
“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’s criticism followed Atiku’s comments on the rising cost of living and insecurity in the country.
The former vice-president had pledged to make life more affordable and improve security if elected president in 2027, while urging registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the general election.
Atiku had made the appeal in a post on his official X account on Wednesday.
