Chief Of Air Staff Restates Commitment To Continue Building Capacity For Special Operations

Chief Of Air Staff Restates Commitment To Continue Building Capacity For Special Operations

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has said that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will continue to build its capacity to conduct specialized warfare roles in order to further contribute to the effective prosecution of the counter insurgency operation in the Northeast as well as other Internal Security (IS) operations in the Country. The CAS made this commitment today, 26 September 2019, while commissioning additional residential accommodation, comprising 2 blocks of furnished 10 x 1 bedroom Single Officers Quarters, 3 units of 2 x 3 bedroom semi-detached bungalows, a block of 6 x 2 bedroom flats for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) as well as 4 blocks of 10 x 1 bedroom transit accommodation for Regiment/Special Forces (SF) personnel, at NAF Base Bauchi.

The CAS, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command (AOC SOC), Air Vice Marshal James Gwani, stated that training was a continuous process that would ensure the Service remains willing and able to effectively discharge its responsibilities to the Nation. He noted that this was the reason why the Service has continued to expand facilities in all its training institutions and centres, including the Regiment Training Centre (RTC), which now has an Annex in Bauchi that is currently training some SF personnel. The CAS recalled how the deployment of NAF SF personnel to such operations as HADARIN DAJI in the Northwest, THUNDER STRIKE along the Abuja-Kaduna Road, WHIRL STROKE in Benue as well as DELTA SAFE in the Niger Delta region, amongst others, had added substantial value to the efforts of other security agencies to address the security challenges facing the Nation. He emphasized that the injection of more of such highly trained personnel into the various theatres, to work with their colleagues from sister Services and other security agencies, will undoubtedly continue to add considerable value to IS operations in the Country.

Speaking further, Air Marshal Abubakar noted that the projects being commissioned were executed in furtherance of his determination to ensure that NAF personnel live in befitting and decent accommodation to enable them focus on their assigned tasks for enhanced service delivery. He therefore charged the beneficiaries to reciprocate by contributing their quota to nation building by working within their places of deployment to deal decisively with all threats to national development. He however observed that this must always be done within the ambits of extant regulations and national laws as well as in compliance with International Humanitarian Law. The CAS equally urged them to ensure the facilities are properly maintained.

Earlier in his remarks, the Commander 251 Base Services Group, Air Commodore Nazif Aliyu, stated that the newly commissioned facilities would greatly reduce the challenges of accommodation deficiency and would therefore ultimately facilitate enhanced professional performance. He equally expressed delight that the K-9 Wing will soon be completed and commissioned.

Dignitaries in attendance at the event included representatives of the Commandant Nigerian Army Armoured School and Commander Nigerian Army Armoured Corp as well as many other senior military officers and heads of security agencies in Bauchi State. One of the highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of keys to the Regiment Transit Quarters to the Commandant RTC Annex Bauchi, Group Captain Isaac Subi.