NAF Engages ‘Soft Power’ Approach in Tackling Insecurity as Air Chief Sadique Receives University Double Honour News

NAF Engages ‘Soft Power’ Approach in Tackling Insecurity
as Air Chief Sadique Receives University Double Honour

University of Ibadan Honours Air Chief
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has
been honoured as a Distinguished Alumnus of Institute of Peace and
Strategic Studies (IPSS) of the University of Ibadan (UI) and a
Fellow of the School of Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) of the
University.

The investiture and presentation of awards, which were done in
recognition of Air Marshal Abubakar’s contributions to the
sustenance of peace across the Country, took place in Ibadan today,
22 July 2019, during the IPSS 2nd Distinguished Personality Lecture
on the topic; “Roles of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Internal
Security (IS) Operations in Nigeria” delivered by the CAS.

In his lecture, the CAS advocated for the emplacement of a
robust military industrial complex as well as the provision of
alternate source of funds for the military to effectively tackle
current and emerging security challenges in the country.

He stated that in a bid to secure territorial integrity and
sovereignty of a country, the need to leverage the military
industrial complex to equip the Armed Forces cannot be
overemphasized; noting that the absence of a military industrial
complex in the country has made the NAF dependent on foreign
countries for the purchase of most of its defence equipment. This,
he said, has economic and security implications for the nation,
especially in terms of depletion of foreign exchange and low
operational readiness.

Air Marshal Abubakar stated further that additional funding
could be provided for the Service through extra budgetary
appropriations and medium term budget expenditure framework.

This, according to him, would ensure that funds for capital
projects such as procurement of aircraft and other equipment, which
are usually over extended periods, are already appropriated for the
duration of the contract. It would also ensure that funds are
available for short, medium and long term needs of the Service with
the result that the NAF would be able to meet its operational and
other challenges more efficiently.

The CAS noted that in managing the threats to internal security,
various methods and approaches such as peace talks and confidence
building measures had been adopted and implemented. However, due to
the amorphous nature of the security challenges coupled with the
use of violence by unscrupulous elements, the Armed Forces of
Nigeria, including the NAF, had been involved and, in many cases,
become the vanguard in resolving internal security problems. In
this regard, he highlighted some of the roles of the NAF to
include; offensive and defensive counter air operations, close air
support, air interdiction, air transport operations, casualty
evacuation, maritime air operations, intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) as well as search and rescue. The CAS stated
that the NAF has been involved in a range of IS Operations, which
include Operation DELTA SAFE to provide real-time ISR to support
effective coverage and monitoring as well as security of Nigeria’s
oil and gas infrastructure, and ensure the safety of law-abiding
citizens of the Niger Delta Region.

Also notable are the NAF’s contributions to Operation LAFIYA
DOLE, with the establishment of the Air Task Force (ATF), which
supports the ground forces.

The air effort in OP LAFIYA DOLE, the CAS noted, has been
critical in shaping the environment for the surface forces and in
the successes that have been achieved so far in the on-going
counter-insurgency operation. The NAF, he said, has flown over
50,000 hours in support of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in the last 4
years. Other Operations include DIRAN MIKIYA, now collapsed into
Operation HADARIN DAJI, aimed at identifying and neutralizing armed
bandits as well as deterring them from carrying out attacks on
affected communities in the North West. In the same vein, the NAF
has also participated in Operation AWATSE, aimed at curbing the
menace of hoodlums and petroleum pipeline vandalism in the densely
forested swamps around Arepo, Elepete, Abule Oba and Gbaga
communities located in Lagos and Ogun States, as well as Operation
WHIRL STROKE to curb the security threats in the North Central
States.

Air Marshal Abubakar said the NAF has also engaged ‘soft power’
approaches to tackling various security challenges in the country.
These include humanitarian programmes to win the hearts and minds
of the people, such as provision of water supply, school feeding,
donation of food items as well as the conduct of medical outreaches
in various host communities and conflict areas. According to him,
“Since the inception of the current leadership of the NAF in July
2015, the Service has conducted over 57 medical outreaches with a
total of 308,226 patients treated by the NAF Medical teams during
these interventions. This number comprises 705 general surgeries,
863 eye surgeries and 306,655 medical checkups and screenings. The
NAF has also established and maintains a Level 2 Hospital at each
of the IDP Camps in Dalori and Bama in Borno State. These Hospitals
provide both preventive and therapeutic services to the displaced
persons”, the CAS said.

The CAS, who was first received at UI by the Director IPSS,
Professor Tajudeen Akanji, and conducted on a tour of facilities at
the Institute, had earlier paid a courtesy call on the UI Vice
Chancellor (VC), Professor Idowu Olayinka. Represented by the
Deputy VC Administration, Professor Emmanuel Adebowale, the VC
stated that he was highly delighted to receive the CAS back home.
He commended the CAS for the remarkable achievements and successes
recorded in the fight against terrorism in the Northeast as well as
other internal security threats. He noted that the University was
extremely proud of the achievements recorded by the NAF, under Air
Marshal Abubakar’s leadership, in the areas of capacity building,
infrastructural development, acquisition and reactivation of
platforms, and particularly in Research and Development
(R&D).

He specifically commended the NAF’s commitment to leverage the
technological knowledge and skills of Nigerian Universities through
its Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with 15 Universities, which
included UI. The CAS expressed his extreme delight to be so
honoured by none other than Nigeria’s premier Academic Institution
which has been at the forefront of tertiary education in the
country for over 70 years. He pledged that he would continue to
make UI and IPSS proud.

Other dignitaries at the event included a representative of the
Chief Judge of Oyo State and other members of the State Judiciary;
UI, IPSS and SPSP Principal Officers; the Air Officer Commanding
Logistics Command; General Officer Commanding 2 Division Nigerian
Army; Commadant Armed Forces Resettlement Centre Oshodi; senior
serving and retired military officers as well as heads of security
agencies, amongst others.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force