The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has reminded the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel of the huge responsibility placed on members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria by all Nigerians to ensure their safety and well-being.

Abubakar said this during a meeting with branch heads, directors, commandants, commanders, as well as air component commanders on Wednesday in Abuja.

In a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, in Abuja, the CAS said Nigerians expected the service to ensure that all areas were clear of criminals and their tendencies.

He also called on them to use the period of the meeting to evolve strategies to improve NAF’s operations.

He also urged them to enhance NAF’s logistics support systems and maintenance practices while ensuring the serviceability of air assets for optimal employment of airpower capabilities in joint operations.

Abubakar said the NAF had started taking delivery of additional air assets purchased by the Federal Government with the receipt of the remaining two Diamond-62 Multi-Purpose Platforms recently in Ilorin, Kwara.

According to him, NAF will, in no distant time, be inducting other new platforms acquired for the service.

“When inducted, these additional aircraft would surely add considerable impetus to NAF operations in dealing with insurgents, terrorists, and other criminal elements plaguing our nation,” he said.

Abubakar expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his continued support in attending to the operational, training, and welfare needs of the service.

He also assured the president and all Nigerians of the NAF’s unwavering commitment to continually work wholeheartedly, in concert with other security agencies, towards achieving the mandate of ensuring a safe, secure, united, and prosperous nation.

Earlier, the Chief of Policy and Plans, AVM Sayo Olatunde, reminded the senior officers of the need for them to continue to see themselves not just as commanders or commandants but also as leaders, managers, and mentors to their subordinates.

According to him, “command confers on you the authority and responsibility to effectively utilise available resources and to plan, organise, direct, coordinate, and control your forces for the accomplishment of assigned tasks.

He stressed the need to continue to influence their personnel by providing purpose, direction, and motivation with a view to accomplishing the assigned mission and improving the service.

Olatunde also urged them to approach the meeting with a critical mind and readiness to unlearn whatever they had learnt in the past to enable them to take in new ideas that would enhance their capacity for command responsibility.