By; AMOS EBUTE MATHEW, Kaduna
Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Marshal, Hassan B. Abubakar has reiterate that the era of treating criminal elements in Nigeria with kids’ gloves is over, as they will continue on their trajectory until they bring all of them to their knees.
CAS stated this during the
Sundry Military programmes and graduation of 628 officers and airmen/airwomen of year 2023
in Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Nigerian Air Force Base, kaduna.
The CAS who was represented by the Air Officer Command, Air Training Commandant, Air Vice Marshal, Nnamdi Ananaba, said at a time like this they need to operate optimally in order to effectively address the current spate of insecurity across the country.
“As you rejoin the mainstream workforce of the Nigerian Air Force, your contributions would be instrumental to our collective efforts to sustain and even surpass current intensity of air operations until we completely rid our country of all forms of criminalities.
“Attending ceremonies like this is always gratifying for me, as it directly relates to my command philosophy of “transforming the NAF into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the air power demands of national security in all operational environments.
“The Air Force Institute of Technology is one of the Nigerian Air Force’s foremost training institutions positioned to facilitate one key enabler of my philosophy which is deliberate training and mission-oriented force development.
“let me congratulate the entire staff of AFIT for successfully executing the sundry military programmes and graduating 628 officers and airmen/airwomen today. Undoubtedly, it is through these programmes that the Institute enhances the quality of skilled technical manpower of the NAF, this has largely contributed to the NAF’s current status of being more self-reliant for our platforms and equipment maintenance.
“It gladdening that following your recent curricula review, the Institute has increased its focus on the practical aspects instead of the predominantly theoretical training that was hitherto the case, I am reassured that the Air Force Institute of Technology products, like the set we are graduating today, are adequately skilled and technically capable of maintaining Nigerian Air Force platforms and equipment in the field.
“I am aware of the difficulties you are currently facing in trying to reposition the Institute, some of which have been mentioned today. I assure you that the Headquarters Nigerian Air Force is aware of these problems and will do our best to address them, despite resource constraints. I have also noted, with delight, the efforts of the Commandant in mitigating some of the pressing challenges of the Institute including the staff verification exercise, job rotations and cybercrime related offenses prevention.
” I want to commend Mr. President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for his unwavering support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and to the Nigerian Air Force in particular, without which our current level of operational successes would not have been possible” he stated.
Also speaking, AFIT Commandant, Air Vice Marshal, Sani Rabe, said despite the expansion of AFIT and the increase in its mandate, the Institute has not lost focus on its primary role of producing quality technical manpower for the NAF.
According to him, all successive managements of the Institute have been making efforts to sustain the vision of the founding fathers.
“This informed the creation of the Centre for Technical and Vocational Training (CTVT), which oversees all aspects of military technical and logistics training in the Institute as the current leadership of AFIT is steadfast in efforts at achieving the Chief of the Air Staff’s philosophy of ‘transforming the NAF into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the air power demands of national security in all operational environments’ as well as the philosophy’s Key enabler of deliberate training and mission oriented force development.
“Meeting the NAF’s skilled manpower requirements therefore remains paramount in AFIT’s endeavour despite its expanding mandate. It is in fulfilment of this task that today we are graduating 37 officers who have completed their Initial Officers’ Course, and 591 airmen/airwomen who have completed various Basic as well as Advanced/Intermediate Upgrading Courses.
“Completion of these courses could not have been possible without the support of the Chief of the Air Staff who has continuously and promptly approved release of the funds required for the training as well as the course allowances for the personnel on training” he said.
