The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Hasan Abubakar, has reiterated the Nigeria Air Force’s (NAF) commitment to enhancing the welfare of its serving and retired personnel.

Mr Abubakar, who was represented by the chief of administration, AVM Idi Sani, gave the assurance at the maiden edition of his parley with NAF veterans on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the NAF had embarked on a wide variety of initiatives and projects to enhance the living conditions of its personnel across the various bases nationwide.

He said the NAF had acquired over 84 hectares of land at the Kaduna Millenium City, specifically for the development of affordable post-service housings for airmen and women.

Mr Abubakar added that NAF also acquired 121.4 hectares of land ceded to it by the Olu of Warri/NNPC

According to him, NAF also acquired 68. 97 hectares of land recovered at Nuwalege, behind NAF Base, Bill Clinton Drive, and over 1,200 hectares of farmland ceded to it by the Niger Government.

He explained that NAF reviewed its boarding schools meal subsidy from N300 to N1000 effective from September 2023, saying that it was necessitated by the inflationary trend in the country.

According to him, priority has also been given to wards of NAF personnel seeking admission into its schools nationwide to enable them to remain focused on assigned tasks while concentrating on their core responsibilities of defending the nation.

“As part of infrastructural renewal efforts, the NAF under Air Marshal Abubakar initiated over 146 projects in the various Bases nationwide.

“Some of these projects have since been completed and commissioned and they include a 40-bed NAF Reference Hospital at a sports complex at NAF Base Asokoro; NAF Microfinance Bank; Six -floor new HQ NAF Annex Building at Gudu and brand-new state-of-the-art Airport Commandant’s office at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

“There was groundbreaking for the proposed NAF Centre of Excellence Complex, situated at Bill Clinton Drive, along the Airport Road to house the Institute of Airpower Studies, Air Force War College, Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre and the Air to Ground Integration School.

“Construction of Air Force Primary School, NAF Base Bill Clinton Drive and a block of 18 x 2-bedroom Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO) accommodation at 407 ACTG, Kainji, among others, were part of the initiatives,” he said.

The CAS said the parley had provided the opportunity to reflect on what it meant to be a patriot and a veteran who had answered the clarion call to defend the country.

He said the event would feature free medical services and a presentation of carefully selected lecture topics by erudite resource persons, which he believed would enrich attendees’ understanding of health and financial issues.

He said the interactive session would enable them tap from the wealth of experiences of some of the veterans.

The commander, 055 NAF Camp, Group Captain H.S Ibrahim, said the event was an opportunity to interact and honour the bravery and patriotism of veterans and to re-evaluate the bond between serving and retired personnel.

Mr Ibrahim said the event was also designed to enable the veterans to give their honest recommendations of NAF activities toward fulfilling its obligations to them.

(NAN)