The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of hypocrisy over his criticism of Nigeria’s condition, citing the liquidation of Nigeria Airways and unpaid entitlements owed to its former workers.

Keyamo made the accusation in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, claiming that the administration in which Atiku served as vice-president liquidated the national carrier in September 2004, leaving thousands of workers without jobs and their pensions and gratuities unpaid.

“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.

He alleged that former Nigeria Airways employees were left to struggle for years to receive their entitlements, which he said amounted to billions of naira.

Keyamo said President Bola Tinubu had approved and released ₦36 billion to settle outstanding payments owed to the former workers, adding that some beneficiaries had begun receiving payment alerts.

The minister cited the payment as evidence of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to address the longstanding claims of former Nigeria Airways employees.

Nigeria Airways, the country’s former national carrier, was liquidated in 2004 after years of financial difficulties. Its closure left unresolved questions over workers’ entitlements and the future of the country’s national airline operations.

Keyamo’s comments came amid a wider political exchange over the state of the economy and the performance of successive administrations.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has criticised the Tinubu administration over its handling of the country’s economic challenges.

Keyamo’s statement sought to draw a contrast between those criticisms and the record of the administration in which Atiku served, particularly over the aviation sector and the fate of Nigeria Airways workers.

However, the minister’s claims about the liquidation and the ₦36 billion payment were not independently verified in the statement provided.

“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.

“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. In fact, the President was given an award for this by the workers’ union a few weeks ago,” Keyamo added.

The minister accused the former Vice President of attempting to mislead younger Nigerians who might be unfamiliar with the history of the defunct national carrier.

“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 wrote.

Keyamo further accused the former vice-president of taking credit for decisions made by the administration he served in when politically convenient, while distancing himself from responsibility 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.