The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has decorated the 26 newly promoted Air Vice Marshals and 25 Air Commodores, urging them to justify their elevations to the service of the country.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on Friday in Abuja said that the event was a crowning glory of dedication, diligence, and loyalty to service to the country and by extension the service.

The CAS reminded them that their new ranks would place demands of greater responsibilities upon them, particularly with regards to their contributions to improving NAF operational capabilities in furtherance of nation building and national security.

“This is moreso, as we continue to face current and emerging security challenges associated with an increasing volatile and complex security environment where the very best of human resources is required.

“This situation underscored the need for all to be highly proficient in the conduct of your daily routines to provide clear and visionary leadership to your subordinates.”

This, he said, was to ensure that all of them lived up to expectations, adding that the promotion selection had been painstaking and thorough to guarantee a transparent and objective process.

“Accordingly, promotion can no longer be business as asual, while time on rank would, understandably, continue to be central factors such as merit, producrtivity and establishment vacancies.

“And to some extent, geographical spread have combined to raise the bar, and made the race to be even more competitive.

`Therefore, there is no gain saying that the newly promoted senior officers must have earned their new ranks by dint of hard work among other several criteria considered.

“As part of our desire to openly reward excellence, we have chosen to have them decorated in front of their peers, friends and families, particularly their spouses who have been greatly involved in their accomplishments.”

The CAS, however, implored their relatives not to relent in their support being one of the key motivators in any field of endeavour or career.

He said that promotion, though a reward for hard work, was however considered a privilege, urging them to brace up for the challenges ahead, especially as a collective resolve to rejuvenate NAF.

“I urge you all to be prepared to apply your skills, experience and time when and where it is demanded of you.

“As we continue in our march to build a new NAF, I encourage everyone of you to strive his quota by all means possible,” he advised.

Amao said that in a bid to provide veritable guideline for the personnel to effectively apply their skills to enable the service in delivering on its mandate, the NAF had so far made remarkable inroads.

This, Amao said, was in respect of doctrinal development, training, human capacity development, the sustenance of platforms, equipment and security, combat readiness and personnel welfare.

“Apart from these tremendous achievements, the service is poised to integrate its research and development efforts with civil sector so as to booster synergy in platform sustainability.

“Accordingly, we have been paying particular attention to join in combat training, and preparedness, greater social protection for our personnel.

“While also in ensuring that our service engages more with the Nigerian populace in relevant areas for enhanced national security.”

Amao commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching support to the Armed Forces particularly NAF, which had enabled it to carry out its constitutional mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of the country effectively.

The Special Guest of Honour, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, said that promotions, no doubt, brings emotional fulfillment for hardwork, but it also called for more dedication, perseverance and more responsibilities.

“Your elevations showed that you must have distinguished yourselves among other officers, therefore, I urge you all to see it as a privilege that goes with greater responsibilities.

“I want to remind of you the greater challenges ahead of you which calls for more seriousness and dedication at all time to meet the ever-changing security challenges.”

The CDS assured Nigerians that as we move into the year 2023, there were brighter hope and good things ahead.