Keyamo To Atiku: Tinubu Clearing Unpaid Pensions Your Government Left Behind In Nigeria Airways

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of hypocrisy, saying President Bola Tinubu is settling outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to former Nigeria Airways workers following the airline’s liquidation in 2004.

Keyamo made the remarks in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, while responding to Atiku’s criticism of the Tinubu administration over rising living costs and economic hardship in Nigeria.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had criticised the government’s economic policies, promising to reverse the trend and make life more affordable for Nigerians if elected president.

In his response, Keyamo argued that Atiku should also account for the record of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in which he served as vice-president.

The minister alleged that the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in September 2004 left thousands of workers without their outstanding retirement benefits for years.

According to Keyamo, the former employees endured prolonged hardship while waiting for their pensions and gratuities, with some dying before receiving the money owed to them.

He said Tinubu had approved and released N36 billion to settle the outstanding entitlements, adding that beneficiaries had started 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,” Keyamo said.

The minister also claimed that the workers’ union had recently honoured Tinubu in recognition of his administration’s intervention.

Keyamo accused Atiku of taking credit for the achievements of the Obasanjo administration when politically convenient while distancing himself from controversial decisions made during the same period.

He argued that the former vice-president could not celebrate the administration’s successes while disclaiming responsibility for its decisions.

However, the history of the Nigeria Airways liquidation and the payment of former workers’ entitlements spans several successive administrations.

The airline ceased operations in 2003 and was formally liquidated in 2004 after years of financial difficulties. Former employees subsequently pursued payment of their outstanding benefits through successive governments.

In July 2026, aviation sector unions said the Federal Government had approved the release of N36 billion for the final settlement of severance benefits owed former Nigeria Airways workers.

Keyamo’s comments have renewed political exchanges over the economic record of previous administrations and the Tinubu government’s handling of longstanding obligations to former public-sector employees.