The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has pledged the support of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the ministry of defence implementation and advisory committee as it executes the recommendations of the committee earlier set up to reform the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) for effective and efficient service delivery.
A statement by NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet on Friday, quoted Air Marshal Amao as saying this when he hosted members of the committee led by the Vice Chairman, Lt.-Gen. Abel Akale (Rtd) at NAF Headquarters, Abuja.
While noting that in the past, there have been several reform recommendations that never saw the light of day, the CAS expressed optimism that with the rich pedigree of the implementation committee members, there was no doubt that the recommendations, when implemented, will return the AFN to its rightful place of global reckoning.
The CAS also commended the Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen Bashir Magashi (retd) for seeing the need to reform the entire military, noting that the timing for such reform could not have been apt in view of the dynamic nature of modern warfare.
In his remark, Lt-Gen Alkale (retd) stated that the committee members were at HQ NAF to brief the CAS on their efforts in implementing the various recommendations contained in the approved report and to solicit his support as well as inputs, on how to move the recommendation processes forward.
While extolling the indispensability of airpower in counterinsurgency operations, Lt Gen Akale emphasised the importance of ensuring that the well-thought-out recommendations are implemented by the 3 Services to the later in view of the renewed emphasis on jointness.
He also thanked the CAS for recommending a competent senior NAF officer, AVM Emmanuel Wonah, as NAF’s representative on the reform committee.
“The officer you sent to represent the NAF on the Committee has been excellent and should serve as a source of pride to the NAF”, he said.
It may be recalled that in February 2021, Maj-Gen Magashi had inaugurated a 21- man committee to facilitate the Reforms of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The committee, which was headed by Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru (retd), had a 10-point terms of reference aimed at repositioning the Armed Forces for 21st century warfare.
