CAS re-iterates commitment to airmen, officers’ welfare

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has reiterated his commitment to the welfare of officers and airmen of the Nigerian Air Force.
Speaking at the inauguration of newly constructed residential quarters for officers and airmen at the Yola Air Force Base on Saturday, Abubakar said part of his vision was to ensure that all officers and men have befitting accommodation to retire to after a hard day’s work.
Abubakar said that similar commissioning of quarters had taken place in some base across the country, adding that more special interventions would be brought to the Yola Base such as upgrading its hospital and secondary school.
He said: “My vision is also to see how we can reposition NAF to a highly professional and disciplined service through capacity building initiative for effective, efficient and timely deployment of air power in resolving the security challenges we are facing.”
Abubakar said within the past three years NAF have embarked on training and retraining of its personnel to keep them fit in facing the task ahead.
He said: “In the last three years, we also brought into service, four brand new Mi35 helicopter gunships. We have also brought in two brand new 412 helicopters for liaison duties.
“Similarly, we had made a case to the Federal Government to release three more helicopters; the EC135 which were released and we were able to service them and put them into flying status.
“Recently, you are all aware that government has approved the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from the US. In addition we were able to bring in 10 brand trainer aircraft from Pakistan now stationed in Kaduna and are adding value to our training efforts.
“In the last few months, we have winged quite a number of officers. We have brought in about 84 pilots into the Air Force and we have trained other specialists like technicians and engineers.”
He lauded the Adamawa Government for it support to NAF and assured that NAF would continue to work with the army and other security agencies in securing the state and the nation in general.
Abubakar said: “I want to thank the President and Commander in Chief for supporting NAF and other security organisations so that we can be effective in ensuring that our society is secured and safe.”
Speaking at the occasion, the Commander of Yola NAF Base, Air Commodore Anthony Ndace, lauded the CAS on the accommodation project which he said was one among many other projects commissioned in the base to serve as morale booster for the officers and men.
Ndace said: “The relentless commitment of our CAS to enhance personnel morale and performance in the entire NAF is unimaginably overwhelming,” Ndace said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Adamawa, Martins Babale, lauded the role NAF has been playing in area of security in the state and assured NAF of sustained government support and collaboration.
Babale said: “Adamawa is proud of you. You have brought development through your show of commitment, resilient and effective use of scarce resources.”