Chief of Air Staff meets top NAF personnel in Abuja

As part of concerted efforts to end insurgency activities in the country by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, on Wednesday, began a two-day meeting with key appointment holders, commanders, commandants as well as air component commanders of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

The move, TRIBUNE ONLINE gathered, was to strategise for more effective operations in the various theatres of operations across the six geo-political zones of the country.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Air Marshal Abubakar said that the Nation put high hope in the Service in resolving the nation’s Security challenges and as such they could not afford to let me nation down which required the personnel to brace up for the enormous task ahead of them

According to him, “I am delighted to welcome you all to this all-important meeting which I strongly believe is aimed at enhancing the capacity of our Commandants, Commanders, and Air Component Commanders for optimal command responsibility.

“This meeting also seeks to appraise our current state of effectiveness and efficiency in contributing to the enhancement of national security as well as in dealing with current and emerging security challenges facing our dear Nation.

“I am also hopeful that this gathering will provide us an avenue to critically analyze our activities, achievements and challenges with a view to evolving strategies to overcome the challenges while charting a way forward in order to take the Service to greater heights.

” For the first time since my assumption of office as the 22nd Chief of the Air Staff, this meeting will also afford me the opportunity to hear from our various commanders, the challenges confronting our various units, while also giving me the opportunity to address some policy issues aimed at streamlining the activities of the Service for optimum performance.

I therefore expect frank, robust and insightful conversations and inputs that would re-position the NAF for more effective service delivery.

“As you are all aware, our primary role lies in the protection of our national security in its entirety pursuant to building a virile and prosperous nation. Accordingly, the dynamic nature of our current contemporary security challenges demands continual review and updates in strategies to counter threats to our national security.

“It is in response to these contemporary security imperatives that I have propounded my Command Philosophy which is “To transform the Nigerian Air Force into an agile and resilient force that effectively meets the airpower demands of national security in all operational environments”.

“I am optimistic that my philosophy will enable us drive policies, plans, and actions that would position the NAF for optimal performance. I am also glad that the theme of this meeting, ‘Enhancing Commanders Capacity for Optimal Command Responsibility’, aptly aligns with one of the key enablers of my command philosophy which harps on, ‘Deliberate training and mission-oriented force development’.

“I am further pleased that a day out of this 2-day meeting has been earmarked for us all to extensively attune ourselves and key into my command philosophy, which I strongly believe will set the tone for my short, medium, and long-term plans for the NAF. Thus, the need for us all as the current NAF leadership to be on the same page with regards to my plan for the Service cannot be overemphasised.

Speaking earlier in his remarks, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Sayo Olatunde, reminded the senior officers of the need for them to continue to see themselves not just as commanders or commandants but also as leaders, managers and mentors to their subordinates.

According to him, “Command confers on you the authority and responsibility to effectively utilize available resources and to plan, organize, direct, coordinate and control your forces for the accomplishment of assigned tasks.

“It also means you are responsible for health, welfare, morale and discipline of your personnel”.

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE