Hardwork, dedication hallmark of promotions – Air Chief

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) promoted 13 AVMs, and 35 Air Commodores for their hard work and dedication.

The Air Force Council (AFC) recently approved the promotion of 99 senior officers to the next higher ranks in the NAF.

Abubakar disclosed this while decorating the newly promoted senior officers on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the occasion was to celebrate their diligence and to congratulate them on their promotion to higher ranks.

”In an increasingly complex security environment where new challenges call for the very best, human capacity development remains one key responsibility of a fighting force.

”Personnel’s skill and commitment on-the-job go a long way to determining the overall success in the transformational drive and repositioning efforts of the Nigerian Air Force.

”I need not stress that in the discharge of our professional responsibilities, the demands on members of the Armed Forces are unique.

”It is thus very important that the Services are led by persons with good leadership qualities if we must eliminate or minimise costly mistakes during operations.

”This requirement is even higher in the case of the Air Force which is a highly technical service.

”I am proud to say that we have found these qualities in the 13 air Vice Marshals (AVMs) and 35 Air Commodores we have decorated this morning,“he said.

He urged the senior officers to see their promotion as recognition of their professionalism and as being entrusted with the capacity to tackle higher responsibilities.

He said that promotion though a reward for hard work, is however considered a privilege and a call for higher responsibilities.

The air chief charged the officers to brace up for the challenges ahead especially to regenerate the NAF.

”I urge you to be prepared to apply your skills, experience, commitment and time when and wherever it is demanded of you as we continue to build a new NAF,” he said.

Earlier, Chief of Administration, AVM Kingsley Lar, said the promotion of the senior officers followed a ‘painstaking screening process and subsequent approval by the Air Council.

”The selection process culminating in promotion is usually a painstaking and exhaustive one. It involves applying stringent criteria for elevation especially to the prestigious air rank.

”Several qualities and conditions are used to determine an officer’s eligibility for promotion. Merit is certainly top of the list of considerations.

“However, it does not mean that the officers that were not promoted are not fit, most especially at the higher ranks. The major constraint is that of establishment vacancies,” he said.