After POP, NAF commissions 111 officers of NDA 66 regular course

The newly commissioned Nigerian Air Force (NAF) officers of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Regular Course 66 have been charged to be diligent, committed and resolute in the discharge of their military duties and responsibilities to the Nation.

President Muhammudu Buhari gave the charge on Monday during the commissioning and pipping ceremony of the 111 graduated NAF cadets at the NAF Base, Kaduna.

Represented by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, the President who was the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion, congratulated the NAF cadets who are commissioned into the rank of Pilot Officer, and reminded them of the challenging but rewarding nature of the military career.

He noted that with the quality of training they had received, they would be able to cope with the demanding tasks ahead.

While challenging them to brace up for the rigours of military service, the President reminded the young officers that they were being commissioned at a time when the country is tackling various security challenges such as terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, armed banditry, communal clashes, cultism, militancy as well as herdsmen/farmers clashes.

“Let me emphasize that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has recorded tremendous progress in degrading the capacity of Boko Haram terrorists thereby ensuring the territorial integrity of the Country,” he said.

“In this regard, the ambitions of our detractors to destabilize the Country have been dismantled, even though they continue to instill fear among the civil populace by attacking soft targets, carrying out hit and run attacks on isolated military formations and utilizing social media propaganda to disseminate fake news.”

The President also reminded the newly commissioned officers that, as young commanders, they would be entrusted with the responsibility of human and material resource management and would therefore be required to remain fair and mindful of their integrity.

He urged them to imbibe and uphold the ethics of the military profession which include discipline, loyalty and hard work.

“You should also be firm and resolute in ensuring that the right things are done while eschewing what is wrong. You have to be frank in dealing with all situations with truthfulness and honesty and must work assiduously towards achieving organizational goals,” he added.

The President commended the NAF for “working assiduously to checkmate the security challenges facing the Nation. He noted with emphasis the efforts of NAF pilots who have continued to bomb centres of gravity and hideouts of insurgents and criminal elements.”

He also commended the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for providing inspirational leadership for the NAF. Adding that the recent induction of new platforms and re-activation of long grounded aircraft, the CDS noted, is a confirmation of the CAS purposeful leadership.

The President said “it was on record that over the past four years, the NAF has continued to reactivate grounded aircraft and induct new platforms while still adequately meeting the administrative and welfare needs of its personnel. 

“More commendable is the fact that the achievements were recorded with limited resources available to the NAF,'” he said.

While congratulating officers who distinguished themselves during the Course, the President charged award winners to see the awards as an incentive towards excellence and enhancing their confidence towards effective service delivery.

For the rest, who did not win any award, the he encouraged them not to despair noting that they had fought a good fight having completed the Course with acceptable grades.

Concerning the use of the social media for propaganda by criminal elements, the President tasked the newly commissioned officers to acquire in-depth knowledge of how to apply social and digital media to win the war, alongside use of sophisticated weapons.