21st February, 2019
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has tasked personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to remain apolitical whilst carrying out their duty of providing necessary support for the lead agency, the Nigeria Police.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said Abubakar gave the charge when he met Principal Staff Officers(PSOs) and Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) of the 6 NAF Field Commands in Abuja.
Abubakar at the meeting told the PSOs and AOCs to ensure that NAF personnel were professional and decisive in the discharge of their duty.
He also urged them to work closely with other security agencies, to ensure that no individual or group of individuals undermined the electoral process, adding that commanders would be held responsible for lapses.
He reiterated that personnel must remain apolitical and sternly resist any entreaties by unscrupulous and self-centred individuals, who are more concerned about their personal interests than the nation’s interests.
Abubakar implored the PSOs and AOCs to ensure that subordinate commanders remained focused on the discharge of their assigned tasks, whilst encouraging their personnel not on essential duty to exercise their legitimate rights to vote.
The spokesperson said the meeting also provided an avenue for Abubakar to be briefed on the emergency contingency plan of the 6 Commands for their Areas of Responsibility (AORs).
He said Abubakar was also briefed on the deployment of NAF aircraft assigned for support operations during the Elections.
Daramola added, ” including surveillance aircraft that would be deployed to potential flashpoints to provide real-time imagery intelligence that would be streamed live to the HQ NAF Situation Room as well as Command Situation/Operations Rooms across the country.”
The spokesman assured the public that the NAF, in conjunction with the Nigeria Police and other security agencies, would ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians before, during and after the elections.
“All eligible voters are therefore encouraged to come out en masse to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights to vote for the candidates of their choice on election days,” he said.