Air Force Chief Charges Troops to Sustain Attacks against Terrorists, Bandits
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, yesterday charged troops of Operation Gama Aiki (OPGA) and personnel of 013 Quick Response Force (013 QRF), Minna, Niger State, to sustain the tempo of operations and continue to fight gallantly until insurgents, armed bandits and all other criminal elements, were completely eliminated and peace restored to the state and all other troubled parts of the country.
The charge came as 22 senior officers promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General were decorated in Maiduguri.
Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Maj Gen Christopher Musa, Force Commander, Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj Gen Abdul-Khalifah Ibrahim, and Deputy Governor of Borno State, Mr Umar Usman Kadafur, decorated the 22 newly promoted senior officers, who were serving in the North East.
Amao, however, gave the charge while celebrating Christmas with the troops of the air component of OPGA in Minna.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters NAF, Air Commodore Sunday Aneke, the CAS noted that the lunch also provided an opportunity for the Nigeria Air Force to remember the sacrifices of fallen heroes, who paid the supreme price in the service to the country.
According to him, the security threats facing the country and the challenges they presented to the attainment of national development goals required the emplacement of robust security architecture capable of rapid employment of airpower in the full spectrum of warfare.
The NAF, he stated, operating in concert with sister services and other security agencies, has continued to courageously confront various security threats while recording tangible results in the various theatres of operations.
“I must, therefore, state that I am proud of the efforts of all our officers, airmen and airwomen participating in internal security operations in different parts of the country,” he said.
While appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari for his continued support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria especially, the NAF, the CAS stated that the AC OPGA had continued to perform very critical roles in providing the much-needed air support for the effective conduct of ground operations by ground troops.
The air operations, he disclosed, were instrumental to curtailing the activities of the terrorists and denying them freedom to perpetrate evil.
“It is gratifying to note that operational manpower development in the NAF recently received a boost with the winging of 26 new pilots and 31 operators since my assumption of office. In the same vein, I am happy to note that we currently have a total of 195 officers, airmen and airwomen undergoing various training courses abroad cutting across several specialties and trades.
“In addition, 12 student pilots are undergoing basic fighter training at 403 Flying Training School, Kano, while 12 others are undergoing basic transport training at 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna. These courses are aimed at maintaining combat readiness by increasing the number of pilots to man our ever-increasing inventory of aircraft,” he said.
In his remarks, the Commander 103 QRF, Group Captain Elisha Bindul, stated that the presence of CAS during festive periods remained a huge source of motivation and indicative of his commitment to the welfare and morale of troops of OPGA.
Such visits, he added, demonstrated the innate desire of the CAS to give the troops a sense of belonging, realising that they were spending the festive season in the frontlines and away from their families.
While thanking the CAS for meeting all their welfare demands, the commander reassured him of their firm dedication to sustain the fight against all forms of criminality in Niger State and North West in general.
A statement by NAF said such visits and interactions of this nature provided an opportunity to not only bond with frontline troops but also to promote esprit de corps, comradeship and regimentation.
