Nigeria Champions More Regional Ties as NAF Hosts African Partnership Flights
INSECURITY is a global challenge and Africa, like any other continent is undoubtedly thirsty for safety. From ethnic militia to Alshabab and now Boko Haram. Therefore, the week long activities put together by the Nigerian Air Force and sister agencies from African Partnership Flights is indeed a good direction towards fostering peace in African sub nations. The main thrust of the event is about safety in the airspace and thee role played by various agencies and operators.
Sam Ethnan Airforce Base in Ikeja, Lagos, the venue of the pan the pan African project put smiles to the faces of many people as it ends on medical out reached to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Lagos.
No fewer than 100 IDP were benefited from free medical service offered by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF)
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, who spoke at the closing ceremony, said the APF was designed to build strong partnership to foster regional stability and security.
Abubakar, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Yahaya, said the exercise was also to foster security through formal alliances, partnership and exchange of ideas among African air forces.
I strongly believe that the specific objectives of this five-day event which culminated in a free medical outreach to about 100 IDPs have been largely achieved.
We will be happy if the knowledge acquired to enhance the present effort at providing appropriate medical care in and outside the theatre of operation in the sub-region particularly to counter insurgency operation in Lake Chad region and North Eastern Nigeria is utilized
I commend the United State Air Forces Europe Command for selecting Nigeria to co-host of this event and to our sister African countries for coming here to share their experiences.
The Minister of Defence, Mr Mansur Dan-Ali, who was Special Guest of Honour, said that the motivation of the programme was aimed at capacity building and mutual cooperation.
The Permanent Secretary representative,Ministry of Defence, Amb. Danjuma Sheni, said the success in overcoming various security challenges confronting African countries depended on joint operation with neighbouring and allied countries.
This is more so as the enemy in today’s wars appear to be largely the same, terrorism, and its range of operation cuts across boundaries of nations.
Immediate examples are the Boko Haram and Al-shabbab insurgencies in the North East Nigeria and East Africa respectively.
As sister and allied nations, we must therefore begin to evolve ways of thinking and training together, developing common doctrines and harnessing human and material resources to achieve set objective,” he said.
According to him, “training programme like this was one of the ways to enhance interoperability”.
“I am pleased that some participants from the Lake Chad basin countries which constitute the multinational joint task force that was created to confront the challenges of Boko Haram insurgents took part in this programme.
I believe your participation will augur well for the success of our operation against the Boko Haram insurgents,” he said.
Mr Muhammadu Audu, one of the beneficiaries, expressed appreciation to the force for the gesture and prayed that the force would continue to succeed in its constitutional roles.
The medical outreach was used to render free medical check-up and consultations, laboratory investigations, malaria and blood sugar tests and the provision of drugs.
Also, there were free blood pressure check, eye examination as well as issuance of free eye glasses and free food to the IDPs.
NAF personnel gave health talks on topical issues relating to HIV/AIDS, malaria, the environment, personal and oral hygiene.
.
About Author
