NAN-DS-9
Dialogue
By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Friday called on aggrieved militants in the Niger Delta to dialogue with the Federal Government to end the current economic recession in the country.
Abubakar made the call while inaugurating new accommodation blocks for officers and men at the 97 Special Operations Group (SOG), Nigerian Air Force, in Port Harcourt.
He said that militant attacks on oil and gas installations not only affected the nation’s economy but has also further degraded the environment.
“The Federal government on several occasions has expressed its willingness and has matched words with action to dialogue with agitators in the Niger Delta.
“Militants should heed to this call and stop vandalising pipelines because their actions have not only polluted the environment but has left serious negative impact on the nation’s economy.
“If they fail to embrace peace, then we will do everything humanly possible to protect lives and ensure peace.
“This is because the constitution has given us mandate to protect our people and the territorial integrity of the country,” he said.
Abubakar said that NAF had prioritised training and retraining of its personnel to enable troops to meet current security challenges confronting the nation.
He said that about 700 officers and men were sent abroad in 2016 to enable them acquire more knowledge for efficient service to the country.
The Air force chief said that NAF was currently pursuing aggressive policy which sought to provide functional accommodation and ancillary infrastructure for its personnel across the country.
“The result of this policy is the completion of a block of 18 two bedroom flats for senior non-commissioned officers and another block of 10 one bedroom flats for men funded by 97 SOG.
“This policy will be a morale booster for our troops especially with increased deployment of more personnel to units due to our involvement in counter insurgency and other operations across the country,” he said.
Abubakar said that more accommodation blocks would be built across the air force formations and assured that old facilities would be improved and maintained. (NAN)
DES/AMY/AMY
Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf