Molly Kilete, Abuja
Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has stressed the need for synergy between the military and civilian populace to rout insurgency in the country.
“We are all obliged to protect the sovereignty and sanctity of our dear country, Nigeria; the unity, as well as the protection of life and property of the inhabitants.
“These can only be achieved through a sound mind, renewed orientation and re-evaluation of our actions and inactions as leaders.
“It is also pertinent to remind ourselves of the contemporary asymmetric nature of warfare, which has defied the conventional battle.
“We must recognise that this war cannot be fought in isolation of the civil populace, hence the need to integrate, and win the hearts and minds of the civilian populace towards gaining intelligence to further our missions and operation.
“I must also reiterate that, in the midst of economic challenges, resources at our disposal as commanders must be utilised prudently towards the attainment of set objectives,” he said.
Abubakar, who spoke yesterday at a retreat for NAF commanders as part of efforts to evolve strategies to meet the requirements of the ever-changing national security environment, assured the commanders that the NAF headquarters was working assiduously to ensure that the mandate assigned to the air force was achieved.
The theme of the retreat was “Enhancing Efficiency and Effectiveness of NAF Unit Commanders in Contemporary Security Environment”
Chief of policy and plans, AVM Isyaka Amao, noted that the retreat was a forum where commanders in the NAF were equipped with specific training and information as regards command responsibilities and duties.
He said the 2020 retreat was necessitated by the recent appointment of various officers in the NAF to command appointments.
Amao noted that the dynamics of the security situation required commanders to be flexible in discharging command responsibilities of which shared ideas and experiences could greatly help.
He thanked the CAS for providing the enabling environment as well as the resources to make the retreat possible.