Chief of Staff, Hassan Abubakar Assumes Office, Vows to Fight Insecurity

The new Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Bala Abubakar, has assumed office. Oladayo Amao, immediate former Chief of Air Staff, handed over the flag to Abubakar at an event in Abuja on Thursday.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu approved the immediate retirement of all service chiefs, including the inspector-general of police and appointed their successors immediately.

The new Chief of Air Staff, while speaking after taking over from his predecessor, appreciated God for giving him the opportunity to lead the country’s Air Force “at this crucial time.” Abubakar promised to reinvigorate NAF in the fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other challenges facing the country.

He vowed to sustain the cooperation and joint efforts that existed between the Air Force and sister services during the previous administration. He stated that, “In conjunction with my colleagues, we will uphold these attributes in line with Mr President’s directive issued, during the maiden national Security Council meeting.

In his valedictory speech, Amao said his administration achieved successes in areas like doctrinal development, air operations, human capacity development, fleet enhancement, establishment of new units, and directorates. He urged the new CAS to ensure the optimal operational capacity of the Air Force, to sustain and surpass the ongoing efforts at eradicating terrorism and banditry.