By Aiyeku Timothy
Air-Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao has taken over as the new Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Amo took charge after the office was handed over to him by his predecessor, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Friday in Abuja in a colourful ceremony.
The new CAS, Amao, expressed delight while receiving the baton of leadership of the service from his predecessor whom he described as a visionary leader as he was also decorated with the medal of office.
Amao thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the confidence he reposed in him for the appointment as the air chief.
“It is no mean feat and I, therefore, take this opportunity most seriously.
“Let me specially thank the outgone air chief for his unprecedented and exemplary leadership throughout his tenure. Sir, you have no doubt left indelible marks in the sands of time.
“Your undeniable drive for human capacity building, infrastructural development, research and development amongst others is testament to your desire for a better NAF,” he added.
Speaking earlier, while handing over the mantle of leadership, the outgoing CAS recalled that his administration succeeded in turning NAF around into a highly professional service.
“In 2015, we set out to reposition NAF into a highly professional and disciplined force and we clearly defined how we intended to do that through capacity building initiatives.
“I am very excited that we have not only restructured the service substantially, we have also embarked on massive air operations in different parts of the country, especially in the North-East.
“In the the North-East alone, we have been able to generate over 37,000 flying hours and we have also restructured NAF, and brought in quite a number of personnel into the system.
“We have brought in about 10,000 personnel that are currently in the system, in terms of the key personnel required for the employment of airpower.
“We have been able to train 133 pilots and these represent about 49 percent of the total active pilots that are flying to defend the country today,“ he said.
Abubakar urged the new CAS to ensure he consolidated on the achievement of his administration by taking the service to greater heights.
