By Odili Christel
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has urged officers and men of the Force to step up strategies to reduce the impact of insurgency activities in the country.
He stated this in Abuja while decorating the newly promoted Officers, he urged them to see the promotion as a platform to re-dedicate them in the service to the nation. He said their elevation to their new ranks was not only premised on their past performance, but also on their potential for the future.
According to him, “Your elevation to your new ranks therefore, is also an indication of the trust the nation has in you to find an enduring solution to the nation ’3 security challenges.”
The CAS, who described their duties and tasks as tedious, crucial and demanding, however said they were being expected to be more thorough, prudent and selfless in their delivery said, “You must at all times be guided by your social contract with the Nigerian people.
He said” while it is a good thing to be elevated to an air rank or have more stars and bars on our shoulders, it is more fulfilling to say in retrospect that “l have done this much.” It is only then that you will be convinced that you have added value to our noble profession and by extension, our dear nation. It is popular saying that “to whom much is given, much more is expected.” These words aptly capture the essence of responsibility associated with promotion”
Air Marshal Abubakar emphasized that most of those promoted had earned it and had been in the forefront in the fight against insurgency and urged them to improve on their strategy. He stated that, the promotion came at a time when the country is faced with daunting security challenges.
The Chief of Air Staff said “service has over the years invested a lot in capacity building, reactivation and maintenance of its aircraft fleet, as well as welfare and infrastructural development initiatives for better performance.”
The Director of Civil Military Relations, AVM Ubrufih Uzezi who spoke on behalf of the promoted officers acknowledged the sacrifice of the personnel of the force and pledged to uphold the tenets of the Service to the benefit of the nation.
Recall that the, just of recent, the Nigerian Air Force released the promotion of its senior officers to the next higher ranks in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The newly promoted officers include 22 air commodores and 28 group captains, amongst which a posthumous promotion was given to a late pilot.