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Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over comments on the unpaid pension of retired government workers, saying Atiku is now speaking out on a matter he helped create.
In a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, Keyamo said that when Atiku was Vice-President, the government liquidated Nigeria Airways in September 2004 and did not pay workers their pensions and gratuities.
Atiku had on his X handle, said the economic situation has become so dire that pensioners must now choose between buying medicine and buying food. Young people work hard, yet transport, rent and basic needs consume what they earn and across the country, families live with the fear of kidnapping, attacks and whether their loved ones will return home safely.
He said: “No family should have to face hunger and insecurity at the same time. We cannot allow this hardship and fear to become the future our children inherit.”
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But reacting to Atiku’s statement, Keyamo said President Bola Tinubu has since approved and released N36 billion to settle the claims of former staff of Nigeria Airways and that the President received an award from a workers’ union for the move.
Keyamo said Atiku “sits down there and pontificates” and accused him of taking credit for the Obasanjo-Atiku administration when it suited him and blaming Obasanjo when it did not.
He said: “Over a month ago, Mr. President approved and released the total sum N36 billion 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. 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.
“You cannot disguise your inordinate ambition in a cloud of rhetorical gibberish. When it is convenient for you, you claim some credit of the Obasanjo-Atiku government and when not convenient, you say Obasanjo was in charge and not you as Vice-President.
