Chief of Air Staff Commissions Dialysis Center At NAF Reference Hospital, Inspects Helicopter Reactivation

Chief of Air Staff Commissions Dialysis Center At NAF Reference Hospital, Inspects Helicopter Reactivation

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on 2 May 2018, commissioned a Dialysis Centre and an emergency ramp at the recently established NAF Reference Hospital in Port Harcourt to further enhance healthcare delivery for personnel, their families and members of the civil populace. The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, also commissioned a well-furnished 6 x 2-room officers’ accommodation, as part of concerted efforts to address the accommodation needs of NAF personnel in general, and those serving at 115 Special Operations Group Port Harcourt in particular. The new residential block was named after Wing Commander MB Umar, a NAF combat helicopter pilot, for his sterling and outstanding act of gallantry in the face of adversaries in the Northeast counterinsurgency operations.

In his remarks, Air Marshal Abubakar expressed delight at the timely completion of the projects, which are in line with the policy trust of the current NAF leadership to reposition the NAF by promoting and inculcating excellence and service delivery. He added that the NAF was not oblivious of the fact that the human needs of a fighting force are very critical to operational effectiveness. “This is why this administration places a lot of premium on the welfare needs of personnel and that is why we have continued to take far reaching initiatives designed to enhance the capacity of our key strategic resource, which is the human capital”, the CAS added.

The CAS expressed hope that the new project would provide some form of leverage for personnel of the Unit and further enhance their efficiency during the conduct of their military duties. The CAS congratulated the beneficiaries of the project and charged them to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities. Air Marshal Abubakar further stated that the newly commissioned facilities at the NAF Reference Hospital Port Harcourt were designed to address the secondary and tertiary healthcare needs of personnel as well as the host community. He added that the provision of the new projects would not have been possible but for the enabling environment constantly created by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari. The CAS, therefore, expressed appreciation to President Buhari for his unflinching support in ensuring that the needs of the NAF are given utmost attention whenever required.

The CAS seized the opportunity of the visit to inspect other on-going projects aimed at enhancing personnel welfare. He also took the time to assess the level of progress of the on-going reactivation of some NAF combat helicopters. He expressed his satisfaction with the extent of work, which was nearing completion, and noted with delight that the operational capability of the NAF would soon receive a further boost. In a subsequent interview with pressmen, the CAS stated that the NAF was making comprehensive efforts at combatting the security challenges in the country. According to him, the NAF is not only focussed on the improvement of its operational capability, through the acquisition/reactivation of platforms, but also investing towards enhancing the welfare of its personnel, having recognized the primacy of the human being as a resource. He added that the resolution of the nation’s security challenges required military and socio-economic measures. According to him, the NAF would continue to adequately play its part in contributing to the military measures at resolving the challenges while expecting those challenges facing other dimensions of security, especially at levels that are closest to the people, will be addressed. The CAS and his entourage from HQ NAF had since returned to Abuja.