The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on Friday charged the 1,100 recruits of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) not to compromise in protecting and preserving the territorial integrity of the country.
Amao gave the charge during the Passing Out Parade of the 1,100 Recruits of Basic Military Training Course 41 at the Military Training Center (MTC) NAF Base Kaduna.
He said that they were graduating at a time when the country was facing security challenges.
“As the gains of our troops are being consolidated, you may be deployed to operational theatres to contribute your quota to our national security,” he said.
According to him, the NAF was witnessing the passing out of a crop of young men and women, who were carefully selected six months ago to commence their military training.
“It is a testimony of the commitment of the NAF to operate a professional service properly structured, manned and trained to provide security to Nigeria and the Nigerian people.
“This is in consonance with our overall strategy of mitigating the challenges of insecurity in our Country,” he said.
Amao also charged the recruits to be innovative and take advantage of opportunities that would be provided through specialised training and re-training for proficiency in their chosen specialties.
“On our part, we will continue to focus on improving facilities while paying adequate attention to your welfare within available resources.
“We will continue to encourage personnel to be innovative and subordinate their personal interests to those of the Service and the Nation.” he added.
He said NAF was a noble profession which was highly dependent on technology.
“Therefore, wherever you are deployed, you must do your utmost best to ensure that the Service always remains at the very top for optimum performance.
“You must embrace its core values of integrity, service before self and excellence in all you do as essential ingredients of the high reputation, which the Service has earned over the years.”
Amao urged them to operate within the rules of engagement as enumerated in the code of conduct for armed forces personnel.
” You must respect and protect the innocent and law-abiding civilians whom you are paid to defend
” We should always remember that good civil-military relations is a key component of a civilized society.
“Our duty is to protect all Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political inclinations,” Amao said.
The Air Chief said that the NAF in cooperation with other members of the armed forces and security agencies would continue to do its best to ensure that the security challenges in the country was speedily brought to end.
Amao disclosed that NAF was expecting aircrafts comprising of six A-29 Super Tucano aircrafts from the USA and two Wing Loong Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles from China.
According to him, the aircraft will no doubt boost NFA air power demployment capabilities in support of joint operations and would be a game changer in the various theatres of operation.
The Air Chief lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his continued priority to the NAF, to enable it meet its operational and logistics needs.(NAN)
