| Air Force rolls out
drum for new chief
By PHILIP NWOSU
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
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• Air Marshal Paul Dike addressing Senior Air
Force officers
PHOTO: Sun News Publishing
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The need to move the Nigerian Air Force from the position
of having dilapidated aircraft in its fleet to a state of
combat readiness was the main focus of the Chief of Air Staff,
Air Marshal Paul Dike, as he toured the force’s formation
in Lagos recently.
The visit however, became a mini-celebration for families
of NAF personnel who came out in their large numbers, with
various musical instruments to receive the Air Force Chief.
At the center of the celebration were NAF Officers Wives Association
(NAFOWA), Airmen Wives Association (AWA) and civilian staff
of the Ministry of Defence.
The reason for the celebration, the wives of NAF personnel
explained, was because the new AS has expressed determination
to revive the force and move it forward from its present position.
It is the belief of the personnel that combat capability and
operational efficiency is a vital segment of the country’s
defence system.
This message of combat capability was the thrust of Air Marshal
Dike’s memo as he toured the Aircraft Maintenance Depot
(ACMD), the NAF base in Shasha, the 88 Military Airlift Group,
the 445 NAF Hospital, NAF camp. Victoria Island and the Equipment
Supply Depot (ESD).
Describing funding as the basic requirement for effective
performance and mission accomplishment, Air Marshall Dike
said the Air Force has suffered over the years from gross
inadequacy of financial allocations. His guest and everyone
else, who read the report, must have grasped the implications.
He called for improved funding, while intimating that the
force requires $50 million to train 15 pilots abroad yearly.
Apart from pilot training, he also talked about equipment,
which would make the force continue to be key institution
in the defence of the nation against external aggression.
Indeed, the Nigerian Air Force needs huge fund to revive its
fleet of transport planes, the Charlie-130-Hercules (C-130-H)
and the G222 and also the fighter aircraft, including the
Sepecat Jaguar and the MiG-21, which had been grounded for
a longtime.
In Lagos alone, the new air force chief saw fleets of its
transport plane with completely broken wings.
Inside the NAF hangar, some of the planes had been dismantled,
apparently for repairs, but the funds needed to bring in some
of the broken equipment are yet to be released by the Federal
Government.
That, notwithstanding, the force said it has commenced recovery
works on the G222, another small transport plane which could
be used in combat situation to drop supplies and troops mid-air.
The Chief of Air Staff saw for himself, internal effort by
NAF personnel to put the G222 back in the air at the Aircraft
Maintenance Depot (ACMD).
According to NAF sources, the aircraft needs to be taken abroad
for effective repairs, known within the force as period depot
maintenance, but funds have also been hampering this effort.
Also, Air Marshal Dike expressed shock when he visited the
C-130 simulator in Lagos, which was installed several years
ago, but have not been used once for pilot training.
Several problems had prevented the use of the simulator. Chief
among the problem was the lack of steady power to run the
simulator, which is to run 24 hours uninterrupted.
Not deterred by this, the air force chief voiced the need
for the force’s personnel to rise to the challenges
of broken equipment. He insisted that efforts must be made
to properly fund the force to enable the administration achieve
its blue sky dream.
Dike also felt the pulse of officers and men of the force
and their families, expressing determination to revive the
force.
It is the belief of the personnel that combat capability and
operational requirements is a vital segments of the country’s
defence system.
Moving away from the weapons of war, the air force chief also
commissioned the computer centre at the personnel management
group and an ultra modern office complex at the Pay and Accounting
Group of the force.
To ensure the efficiency of its drivers and prevent frequent
clashes between its officers and personnel of the Federal
Road Safety Commission, the force also invited the officials
of the FRSC to present drivers’ licence to its drivers.
At least over 10 drivers of the force were handed out a valid
driver’s licence, while some officers and personnel
were certified fit to drive on Nigerian roads.
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