Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has defended former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in 2004, arguing that the airline had suffered years of mismanagement, corruption and financial difficulties before Obasanjo returned to office in 1999.
Fani-Kayode made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday while responding to Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo’s criticism of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over the airline’s collapse and the unpaid entitlements of its former workers.
He said Nigeria Airways had 32 functional aircraft when Obasanjo left office as military Head of State in 1979, but by 1999, the airline reportedly had only one non-functional aircraft remaining. He attributed the decline to successive management teams and boards, alongside corruption and mismanagement.
According to Fani-Kayode, the airline’s insolvency and operational collapse left the Obasanjo administration with limited options, making liquidation necessary in 2004 despite its consequences for workers.
The former minister also recalled that he presented a proposal to the Federal Executive Council in 2006 for the payment of outstanding pensions and entitlements to former workers. He said the proposal was rejected at the time, although subsequent administrations made payments towards settling the obligations.
Fani-Kayode commended Keyamo for facilitating the payment of the remaining entitlements under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, acknowledging the prolonged hardship suffered by former Nigeria Airways employees and their families.
Keyamo had earlier stated that Tinubu approved and released N36bn to settle the outstanding obligations, with beneficiaries reportedly receiving payment alerts.
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