Airforce chief decorates 54 newly promoted officers

A day of joy and celebration it was at the headquarters of the Nigerian Airforce in Abuja as the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, decorated 54 newly promoted officers.

The decoration ceremony is sequel to a recent approval by the Air Force Council of the promotion of some senior Nigerian Air Force (NAF) officers to the next ranks.

Beneficiaries were 14 Air Commodores and 36 Group Captains with their new ranks of Air Vice Marshal and Air Commodore, respectively.

For the first time in the history of the NAF, 4 Senior Non Commissioned Officers (SNCOs), who were granted Concessional Commission, were decorated with the rank of Flight Lieutenant for their exceptional performance and contributions to the NAF over the years.

Speaking at the event, Air Marshal Abubakar highlighted that the increasingly complex and challenging security environment required the NAF personnel to put forward its very best at all times.

“In an increasingly complex security environment where new challenges call for the very best, promotion can no longer be business as usual. While time on rank would, understandably, continue to be central, factors such as merit, productivity, establishment vacancy, deplorability and, to some extent, geographical spread have combined to raise the bar and make the race even more competitive,” he said.

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“I need not stress that in the discharge of their professional responsibilities, the demands on members of the Armed Forces are unique, requiring in some instances, our paying the supreme price. It is thus very important that the Services are led by persons of exceptional leadership qualities if we must eliminate or minimize costly mistakes in the fog of war.

“This requirement is even higher in the case of the Air Force given its sophisticated technological culture. In all circumstances, therefore, our leaders in the Air Force must be able to dominate the events which surround them,” he added.

Speaking particularly on the concessional commissioning, he stated that the beneficiaries, who had each put in a minimum of 33 years of outstanding meritorious service to the nation, were found to possess exemplary leadership qualities.

The Airforce chief noted that elevation comes with higher responsibilities and therefore enjoined the newly decorated officers to be more diligent, committed and accountable in the discharge of their duties to the nation.