Fani-Kayode Says Obasanjo Inherited Collapsed Nigeria Airways
Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has defended former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in 2004, arguing that years of corruption, mismanagement and mounting debts had crippled the airline long 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, who had criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his comments on Nigeria’s economic hardship and insecurity. Keyamo had accused the administration in which Atiku served of liquidating the national carrier in September 2004, leaving thousands of workers without their jobs, pensions and gratuities. He also said President Bola Tinubu had approved and released N36 billion to settle outstanding obligations, with beneficiaries reportedly receiving payment alerts. Fani-Kayode maintained that Obasanjo inherited an airline that was already virtually defunct, recalling that it had 32 functional aircraft when Obasanjo left office as military Head of State in 1979. By the time he returned as civilian president 20 years later, Fani-Kayode claimed, the airline had only one aircraft left, which was also unserviceable.
The former minister attributed the airline’s collapse to successive management teams and boards, as well as years of financial and operational difficulties. He said attempts to revive the company, including a proposed privatisation process involving the International Finance Corporation, failed, leaving liquidation as what he considered the only viable option. Fani-Kayode also recounted efforts to settle former workers’ pension entitlements, saying a committee chaired by then Head of Service of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, recommended the release of funds for the payments. He said he presented a memorandum to the Federal Executive Council in 2006 seeking approval to pay the outstanding benefits, but the proposal was rejected after some cabinet members argued that former management and board members responsible for the airline’s collapse should not receive pensions. According to him, subsequent administrations under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and former President Muhammadu Buhari paid most of the pensioners, while he commended Keyamo for ensuring that the remaining obligations were addressed under Tinubu. Fani-Kayode said former workers had suffered for years and maintained that paying their entitlements was the right thing to do, adding that responsibility for the decisions taken by the administration was collective.
#UTVAfrica#
