Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao has restated the commitment of the Service to ridding the country of criminal elements.
He said Nigerians should expect more from the Nigerian Air Force that is more productive and efficient in its operations at 59 years of existence.
The CAS stated this in his remarks at the Inter-denomination Church service to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the Nigerian Air Force in Abuja.
“Nigerians should expect more from the Nigerian Air Force, that is why we have come also to place the NAF in the hands of God for the next coming year and we expect that we’ll be more productive and more efficient in our operations,” he said.
He said the service has witnessed significant growth and transformation in its 59 years of existence hence, the need to thank God for His benevolence.
The CAS said the Church has been instrumental to the success story of the service, as it is always interceding for the service and her leaders.
“May I use this opportunity to appreciate members of the congregation and indeed all personnel and civilian staff of the NAF for your services and commitment to duty, as well as for being good and worthy ambassadors of the Service.
For those that have been directly involved in various efforts to tackle various insecurity blighting our nation, I say a big thank you for the successes we have recorded so far, through your efforts. May the good Lord continually be your shield and buckler, while also defending you against the evil men and women that seek to destroy our unity and sanctity as a nation.
“Therefore, I would further urge that as we begin a new chapter in the history of the Service, we will continue to give our utmost best in furthering the fortunes of the Service and riding our dear nation of all the vestiges of these criminals. May I also spare a thought for our fallen heroes, who paid the supreme sacrifice, during our 59 years journey. While we pray for the continuous repose of their souls, it is also our prayer that God will continue to strengthen and provide for their loved ones, whom they left behind and are still with us,” he said.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for staunchly supporting and providing the enabling environment for the NAF to have the achievements recorded so far.
Amao said, “Through the support of the federal government, several platforms including both manned and unmanned aircraft systems, have recently been acquired and inducted into the NAF. “These aircraft acquisitions have significantly bolstered our conduct of air operations in concert with our sister services. They have enhanced our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as our precision strike capabilities across our theatres of operations to decimate the criminals disturbing our peace.
“The resulting operational successes have culminated in the massive surrender of the criminals to our ground troops in the theatres, thereby contributing to the relative peace that we have today,” he said.
He charged NAF personnel “to be loyal and obedient to constituted authority both in the NAF and the nation in general.’’
“May I, at this point, appreciate and commend the efforts of our sister services and other security agencies in our collective fight against insecurity in the country,” he said.
