We’ve restored honour, dignity to Nigeria –Buhari

...inducts new fighter aircraft

CAS seeks more platforms

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that his administration’s huge investments in acquisition of aircraft and other military hardware has restored honour to the country.

The President made the declaration in Abuja, yesterday, during the induction of two newly-acquired Agusta 109 power and Mi-171E helicopters into the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) inventory.

He expressed optimism that the acquisition of new aircraft for the Air Force will bolster the ongoing counter-insurgency war in the North-East.

This was as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, made a case for more platforms, in a bid to build an air force with a qualitative edge to project air power, both within and outside the country.

While commissioning the platforms, Buhari noted that since its establishment in 1964, the NAF had continued to play critical roles in national security, as well as in peace-keeping operations on the continent.

According to the president, the acquisition of additional assets for the NAF was an eloquent testimony of his administration’s commitment to national security and public safety.

Buhari insisted that the investment made in the area of re-equipping the military, has restored Nigeria’s pride of place in the comity of nations.

“I promised to put an end to Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities that have bedevilled our country during my inaugural speech as President.

“You will all agree with me that the successes we have achieved so far have restored our pride and honour the world over. Consequently, I want to sincerely thank Nigerians for believing in our government in spite occasional outrages, coming together as a nation, irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations, in our strive to bring this menace to an end,” he said.

He pledged his government’s readiness to re-equip the Armed Forces, as well as other security agencies, with a view to achieving effective service delivery.

“I have no doubt that the deployment of these Agusta 109P gunships and the M-17IE helicopter would add impetus to the combat efficiency of the Air Force in combating our contemporary security challenges.

“We are committed to taking the right steps in achieving the desired results. The acquisition of these aircraft, amongst other military equipment, despite our budgetary constraints, is an expression of our commitment.

“We shall ensure that every sector of our nation experience the change that we have promised.

“The degree of confidence of foreign investors in our country is growing and efforts are ongoing to attract more foreign investment in the non-oil sector of the economy so as to achieve the level of diversification we desire to see in our economy,” Buhari said.

He, however, charged officers and personnel to maintain a high level of discipline and professionalism, and a strong maintenance culture that will enable the nation to derive maximum benefits from this acquisition.

Earlier in his welcome address, the CAS observed that in the past decade, the country has had to contend with serious security challenges such as terrorism, insurgency and the like.

He, nonetheless, explained that the NAF, in concert with sister Services, “has confronted these insurgents and other enemies of the state to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our dear nation is not undermined’.

The air chief stated that the “fight against insurgency and terrorism couldn‘t have been possible without the employment of modem combat platforms and equipment sophisticated enough to guarantee the protection of our national sovereignty and the safety of the communities where these asymmetric hostilities are perpetrated.

“…Your Excellency’s government has so far procured and inducted 22 aircraft. Furthermore, the Service is expecting 17 additional platforms including 12 x Super Tucanos from the United States.”

On his part, the Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), said the acquisition and subsequent induction of the platforms, “is a testament to Mr. President’s resolve towards providing necessary equipment needed to combat contemporary security challenges bothering the nation.”