The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has charged personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to be more dedicated and sustain their efforts towards adding value to the Service. Through this, he said, the NAF would continue to grow in strength and be more effective in the discharge of its constitutional roles for a more peaceful and secure Nigeria. The CAS gave this charge today, 9 December 2020, while commissioning 3 newly remodeled and renovated blocks of flats for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) at the NAF Base Makurdi. The project, which is aimed at enhancing the welfare of personnel, will further reduce accommodation deficiencies in NAF Base, Makurdi.

Speaking further, the CAS, who was represented at the event by the NAF Chief of Logistics (CLOG), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Mohammed Yakubu, noted that the provision of more decent accommodation for personnel at NAF Base, Makurdi was in line with the drive of the current NAF leadership to ensure that the welfare of all personnel is accorded priority attention. He noted that this was premised on the comprehensive approach the Service has adopted towards ensuring the security of Nigeria and Nigerians, which, he said, involved not only the acquisition of new aircraft and reactivation of existing ones as well as training for enhanced professional performance, amongst others, but also entailed ensuring the welfare of the personnel who put their lives on the line on daily basis to ensure that Nigeria is secured. “Accordingly, the welfare and wellbeing of our officers, airmen, airwomen and their families has remained a prime consideration during each budgeting cycle. The NAF Administration has therefore focused on the provision of befitting accommodation for the personnel, development of educational infrastructure for more qualitative education for the children and wards of personnel as well as the upgrade of medical facilities for the provision of quality healthcare”, he added.

The CAS stated that the NAF had executed several projects, which include the construction of new facilities as well as the rehabilitation and upgrade of existing ones. “We are determined to continue this way until all our personnel and their families are adequately accommodated and our Bases adorned with high-quality and modern facilities that meet the international standards we all desire”, he said. He further noted that the commissioned projects were among dilapidated airmen’s accommodations selected for rehabilitation and upgrade as part of the Year 2020 capital budgetary provision for the upgrade and rehabilitation of existing Barracks infrastructure. He added that similar projects were recently completed and commissioned in Ikeja, Lagos, while others were nearing completion in Kainji, Kaduna and other locations.

Air Marshal Abubakar expressed the immense appreciation of the NAF to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the provision of resources to meet the equipment and welfare needs of the Service, despite other competing demands. He also thanked the Ministry of Defence and the National Assembly, especially the Senate and House Committees on the NAF, for their commitment and support in budgetary provisions to the Service. The CAS also urged the beneficiaries of the accommodation to use the facilities with all sense of responsibility so that they remain in good condition for as long as possible.

In his welcome address, the Commander 151 Base Services Group Makurdi, Air Commodore Anthony Martins, who was represented by Group Captain Stephen Nwachi, reiterated that the commissioning of the airmen's accommodation was part of series of infrastructural expansion and development projects at NAF Base Makurdi and other NAF formations across the Country, which, he said, were clear testaments to the CAS’ commitment to enhancing the welfare of the personnel for optimal service delivery. He therefore, on behalf of the beneficiaries, pledged to use the renovated accommodations responsibly.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of keys to beneficiaries of the newly-remodeled blocks. Others present at the event were the the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC), AVM Olusegun Philip, and the Director of Works Headquarters NAF, Air Commodore Abiola Amodu, as well as other senior NAF officers.