Senate Praises NAF on
Senate Praises NAF on Management of
Resources
The Chairman Senate Committee on Air Force, Senator Duro Samuel
Faseyi, has commended the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for its prudent
management of resources which has resulted in many laudable
achievements under the leadership of the Chief of the Air Staff
(CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar. This was disclosed during
the defence of the 2019 NAF budget proposal before the Senate
Committee on Air Force.
In his opening remarks, Senator Faseyi highlighted that the
desire of the 8th National Assembly (NASS) for thoroughness and
transparency informed its decision to suspend plenary and other
legislative engagements to give attention to the 2019 Budget to
ensure due diligence before its passage. He remarked that air
forces all over the world were very expensive to maintain but he
was aware that the NAF and indeed the entire Armed Forces have been
persistently underfunded.
Senator Faseyi said he was delighted that despite these
budgetary challenges, the NAF had been able to make giant strides
in the areas of training, acquisition and reactivation of platforms
as well as the enhancement of personnel welfare through provision
of conducive office and residential accommodations, which have
improved the morale, motivation, job satisfaction and combat
readiness of NAF personnel. He stated that the Committee was proud
of the robust synergy, collaboration and cooperation between the
NAF leadership and the NASS which had facilitated these laudable
achievements. He noted that one of the major achievements of the
Senate Committee on Air Force in the 8th Senate was the successful
passage of the Air Force Institute Technology (AFIT) Bill, which
will ensure more efficient functioning of the Institute whilst
providing relief to the NAF.
In his remarks, the CAS thanked the NASS leadership, especially
the Senate Committee on Air Force for providing necessary
legislative support to the Service for the effective performance of
its statutory roles. He stated that the NAF has continued to
project air power in defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity
while also providing assistance to civil authority, when called
upon. He noted that the NAF was involved in several internal
security operations to deal with terrorism, armed banditry and
other forms of criminality in the Country. The CAS further
highlighted some of the key achievements recorded during his
tenure, including the increase in the serviceability of flyable
aircraft from about 33 per cent in July 2015 to the current rate of
between 78 and 82 per cent. According to him “this has facilitated
the conduct of over 43,000 sorties of about 57,000 hours within the
period for various operations”. Air Marshal Abubakar also
highlighted that 22 new aircraft had been inducted into the NAF
fleet and 13 previously unserviceable aircraft reactivated, with
another 8 currently being overhauled.
Speaking further, the CAS noted that the NAF would soon take
delivery of two Agusta 109 Power attack helicopters as well as
another Mi-35M helicopter gunship, whilst the in-country Periodic
Depot Maintenance (PDM) on the C-130 would also be completed in a
few weeks. These, he said, were aside, the 3 new commands and
several units that were established during the past 4 years to
enhance NAF’s operational capability and bring security closer to
the people. These include new units in Nguroje in Taraba State,
Agatu in Benue State, Doma in Nasarawa State, Bauchi in Bauchi
State, Gusau in Zamfara State and Daura in Katsina State, among
others. He stated further that the NAF had undertaken massive
recruitment to ensure the right manpower disposition to meet the
emerging security challenges. “This administration has commissioned
a total of 669 officers and recruited 7,693 airmen and airwomen.
Presently, another 206 officers are in training while the NAF plans
to recruit about 2,000 airmen/airwomen this year”, he said. The CAS
added that force protection and force projection had also been
significantly boosted with the training of about 4,000 Regiment and
1,000 Special Forces personnel both locally and abroad. Air Marshal
Abubakar equally highlighted that, in providing aid to civil
authority, the NAF had assisted the Independent National Electoral
Commission to airlift electoral materials to 31 different locations
in the Country. All of these, he said, were as a result of the
immense support received from the NASS.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force