Posted by The Guardian on
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has effected major redeployments in its top echelon just as Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike said that a pro-active evaluation system would spur the service into a more efficient...
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has effected major redeployments in its top echelon just as Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike said that a pro-active evaluation system would spur the service into a more efficient maintenance of standards required by the on-going re-professionalisation efforts.
The redeployments affected seven Air Vice Marshals (AVM) and 23 Air Commodores (Air Cdres). The redeployments also saw Group Captain Emeka Ozoemena as the new Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI) of the Air Force. The former DOPRI, Group Captain Ibrahim Kure is billed for his War College course overseas. Details of the redeployments show that the former Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Training Command, AVM Olufemi Faloyin now moves to the Headquarters (HQ) NAF as the Air Officer Operations (AOO). The former AOO, AVM Nelson Dilli moves to Tactical Air Command (TAC) as the AOC, a position made vacant by the appointment of Air Marshal Dike as the Chief of the Air Staff. Former Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, AVM Femi Gbadebo, now moves to the Training Command as the AOC.AVM Sesan Awofodu moves from the Inspectorate branch of HQ NAF where he served as Air Officer Inspections (AOI) to the Admin branch as the Air Officer Administration. AVM Osita Obierika, formerly Defence Adviser, Nigerian Embassy, Paris moves to HQ NAF, as the AOI. In the same vein, Air Commodore Chris Marizu, formerly the Director of Administration, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (AFRC) Oshodi Lagos moves to the Logistics Command Ikeja, Lagos as the AOC. AVM BA Kotti, formerly, Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna moves to DHQ as the Director of Electronics Warfare. In the same vein, AVM SA Atti moves to the DHQ as the Director of Operations.Other redeployments include Air Commodores MB Adeniyi, Deputy Commandant, NDA; AE Okafor, Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO), TC; BG Dambaba, SASO - Logistics Command; OO Petinrin, SASO - TAC, AJ Obaisa, Commander (Cmd) 401 Aircraft Maintenance Depot Lagos; JD Awein, Cmd, 305 Flying Training School Enugu; LO Ararile, managing director of the NAF Foundation, the welfare and business arm of the service. Others include Air Commodores Ikechukwu Nnamani, Co-ordinator, Projects Implementation Team, HQ NAF; FO Salubi, Comamnder, Air Weapons Groups; DJ Otaru, Director of Manuals, JE Ode, Director of Training, SA Leks, Director of Safety; EB Fisher, Director of Regimentation (all in HQ NAF). They also include JA Udo, Director of Administration, AFRC Oshodi; IO Oguntiyi - Directing Staff, National War College Abuja.Redeployed as Commanders include Air Commodores AR Okanlawon - 303 Flying Training School Kaduna; TP Shawon - STG Yola; IO Babalola - Air Weapon Training School, Kainji, MD Umar - 302 Flying Training School Kaduna; T Dick-Iruenabere - Group Training Group; WA Oguejiofor - Base Service Group Makurdi; AT Muazu - Base Service Group Kaduna and JO Oshoniyi - NAF Base Ikeja.Group Captain Ozoemena, who confirmed the redeployments said it is to forestall conflicting reports and misrepresentations on the exercise which he described as "routine."