The immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on Friday urged his successor and the new Chief of Air Staff (CAS), AVM Oladayo Amao, to build on his legacies in order to achieve more successes.
Abubakar, who decorated his successor with the medal of office, in line with the Nigerian Air Force tradition, also said he allowed his administration to absorb 10,000 personnel for air power due to shortage of manpower.
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“In 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 air power.
“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.
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.
He also expressed appreciation to God for the gift of life and the rare opportunity and privilege to be appointed the 21st air chief.
Amao thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the confidence he reposed in him for the appointment as the air chief.
