NAF Redeploys Top Air Officers in Major Posting News

NAF Redeploys Top Air Officers in Major
Posting

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has redeployed a total of 36 Air
Vice Marshals (AVMs) and 40 Air Commodores (Air Cdres) including
some Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), Commandants of
Tri-Service Institutions, Directors and Commanders. The
appointments and redeployments, which followed the recent promotion
of some senior officers to the next higher ranks as well as the
retirement of some senior officers, is a routine exercise aimed at
further re-invigorating operational efficiency and enhancing
service delivery.

Branch Chiefs affected by the redeployment include AVM Oladayo
Amao, the former Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP)
Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF), who has now been appointed as the Chief
of Policy and Plans (COPP); while AVM James Gwani, the erstwhile
AOC Special Operations Command (SOC), has been appointed as the new
CTOP. Additionally, AVM Musibau Olatunji has been appointed as the
new Chief of Aircraft Engineering (CAcE), while AVM Mohammed Idris
has been appointed as the Chief of Administration (COA) HQ NAF.

Also redeployed are AVM Abubakar Liman, the erstwhile Commandant
of the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (AFRC), Oshodi, who has now
been appointed as Commandant Armed Forces Command and Staff College
(AFCSC), Jaji; AVM Kingsley Lar, the former COA HQ NAF, has been
appointed as the Commandant of AFRC, Oshodi; while AVM Abdulganiyu
Olabisi, the former AOC Logistics Command (LC) is now the
Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna.

4. The new AOCs include: AVM Olusegun Philip, who is now the AOC
Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC) in Makurdi; AVM Charles Ohwo, the
former AOC TAC, who is now the AOC SOC, Bauchi; AVM Ibukun Ojeyemi
who has been appointed as the AOC Mobility Command (MC) in Yenagoa
and AVM Musa Muktar who is the new AOC Air Training Command (ATC);
while the former Commandant AFCSC, AVM Lawal Alao, is now the AOC
LC, Ikeja.

5. Other senior officers redeployed include AVM Anderson Kassimu
who is now the Managing Director NAF Properties Limited; AVM
Mohammed Suleiman who is appointed as the Chief of Defence Policy
and Plans (CDPP), Defence Headquarters (DHQ), AVM Tunde Awoyoola as
Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation, DHQ; AVM Ubrufi
Uzezi as Deputy Chief of the Defence Space Administration and AVM
Charles Otegbade to the Air Traffic Services Training Centre
(ATSTC), Kaduna as Commandant. Also affected are AVM Idi Lubo who
is now the Director of Policy HQ NAF, AVM Ayoola Jolasinmi who is
appointed as Director of Operations, AVM Aliyu Pani as the Director
of Administration and Air Commodore Abraham Adole as Director of
Training, HQ NAF.

6. Also redeployed is the former Commander 011 Presidential Air
Fleet (011 PAF), AVM Hassan Abubakar who is now the Chief of Staff
(COS) MC, Yenagoa. He is to be replaced by Air Commodore Abubakar
Abdullahi while Air Commodore Simon Peter is to take over as the
Commander 053 NAF Camp, Abuja and Air Commodore Razak Olanrewaju is
appointed as the new Commander 651 Bases Services Group, Ikeja. The
newly appointed and redeployed senior officers are expected to take
over their new offices not later than Tuesday, 7 January 2020.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force
………….

NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF
Air Marshal SB Abubakar DFS GSS psc(+) fwc fdc(+) MSc

It is with great delight and gratitude to the Almighty that I
welcome all officers, airmen/airwomen and civilian staff of the
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the Year 2020. It is my sincere hope
that this year, which marks the beginning of a New Decade, will
bring fulfilment, happiness and prosperity to you and your
families. This auspicious advent of a New Year and indeed a New
Decade, also affords me the opportunity to appreciate all our
efforts geared towards ensuring the NAF continues to discharge its
constitutional roles effectively. In this regard, special mention
must be made of our gallant Pilots, Regiment/Special Forces as well
as support elements serving in the various theatres of operations
across the Country. The Nation owes you a debt of gratitude for
your hard work, patriotism and selfless sacrifices made towards
ensuring the security of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Over the past few years, the NAF, along with sister Services and
other security agencies, has been involved in a number of Internal
Security Operations across the country. These include: Operations
SAFE HAVEN and WHIRL STROKE in the North Central; AWATSE in the
South West, HADARIN DAJI in the North West, DELTA SAFE in the
South-South and LAFIYA DOLE in the North East. It is gratifying to
note that, due to your various efforts as well as those of your
colleagues in other security agencies, relative peace has been
restored to most parts of the North-Central States. Similarly, the
activities of pipeline vandals and other criminals in the
South-South and South West have been curtailed significantly.
Accordingly, the notable gains have given rise to the directives
for the NAF and sister Services to gradually scale down involvement
in some of these operations. The operations in the North West are
also yielding tangible fruits with a gradual reduction in banditry
due to effective kinetic operations in early 2019 that paved way
for Governors in the region to engage the bandits in dialogue with
a view to sustainably achieving peaceful resolution of the security
challenges.

In the North East, the heightened intensity of kinetic air and
ground operations dealt decisive blows on the terrorists during the
out-gone year. In this wise, the NAF sustained its vital air
interdiction missions, as evidenced in the recent Operation RATTLE
SNAKE, which recorded significant successes in neutralizing
terrorists’ camps and logistics facilities. Moreover, we also
continued to provide Close Air Support, whilst sustaining other
combat and combat support roles which shaped the battlespace for
effective ground operations. The recent decisive victories over the
terrorists at Damaturu in Yobe State and Mallam Fatori in Borno
State, amongst others, are evidences of the tremendous results that
synergistic air and ground operations can produce.

It must be emphasised, that none of the aforementioned successes
would have been possible without your courage, commitment and
dedication to duty, for which I once more express my sincere
commendation. This notwithstanding, I charge you all not to rest on
your laurels, as much still needs to be done to rid our beloved
Nation of all elements that threaten the security of the citizenry.
Accordingly, you will need to re-double your efforts whilst ramping
up the pressure on the criminal elements and sustaining the
relentless onslaught against the terrorists and insurgents. You
must nevertheless remain professional in the discharge of your
duties and ensure that the rights of all law-abiding citizens are
protected to enable them go about their lawful activities without
encumbrances.

You must be buoyed by the immense support and enabling
environment created by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, which have enabled the NAF
to be more effective and efficient in the discharge of its duties.
Through this support, the Service has sustained its efforts to
enhance its aircraft holding, through acquisition of new platforms
and reactivation of existing ones. We have also continued to raise
the standard of professionalism through result-oriented training
whilst also improving on personnel welfare and sustaining the tempo
of our Research and Development for enhanced self-reliance and
operational effectiveness.

In view of the foregoing, I believe that the Year 2020, while
undoubtedly having its fair share of challenges and possibilities,
will be a landmark year for the NAF. We must therefore gear up to
make the most of the possibilities for greater service delivery,
whilst leveraging our collective resolve to surmount the inherent
challenges. I also enjoin all NAF personnel to march into the
future with the rugged determination for which we are known. The
Nigerian people deserve this and more from us. We must therefore
give our wholehearted commitment to the fight against all enemies
of this great Nation, remembering that “in the race to add value to
our society and secure our communities, there is no finishing
line”.

I once again wish you and your families a Happy and Prosperous
New Year as we march with optimism into the New Decade.

Air Marshal SB Abubakar
Chief of Air Staff
NIGERIAN AIR FORCE