FG Approves Acquisitions of Fighter Jets, Helicopters- CAS
By Olorunfemi Ojo
Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the acquisition of new fighter aircraft and helicopters for the Nigerian Air Force.
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, disclosed this during a media briefing on the occasion of Nigerian Air Force 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Air Force Headquarters Abuja.
Amosu, who commended President Goodluck Jonathan for living up to his full responsibility of ensuring that necessary resources needed to sustain the NAF are always available, also gave the assurance that the military would stabilise the country from the current security challenges.
In his respond to current state of insecurity in the north east, Air Marshal Amosu said: “We must stablise the North-East and we must ensure that elections take place, democracy is something vital to our nation and we are defenders of democracy. So, everything that we need to do, any kind of sacrifice that is in place to ensure that security is ensured, we have to do it”.
He noted that one of the challenges the military was facing in the North-East was the lack of information by citizens, asking for their cooperation in the fight against the insurgency.
To him, the war against insurgency is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians, adding, “with necessary information, perhaps the North-East would have been stabilised by now”.
“Once we get information, you will see the changes that will take place.’’
He noted that the Air Force had earlier scheduled to hold the 50th Anniversary alongside the Bi-annual Air Expo, but had to be postponed because of the security challenges and the role of the Air Force in the fight against the insurgency.
“We are not cancelling the expo but we are postponing it and as long as election will take place, the expo will take place, we are putting it toward the end of the year.
“In order to tackle headlong the insurgency challenges and stabilise the North-East without reducing our efforts, we sincerely regret any inconveniences this may cause our friends and partners.
“A new date will be announced in due course as the sovereignty and security of our nation is paramount,’’ the CAS said.