President Muhammadu Buhari
ABUJA, Feb 8 (NNN-XINHUA) — Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said the military will be re-professionalized and re-equipped to meet the growing exigencies of security in the country, assuring citizens that the promise of ending terrorism would soon be realized.
“We promise to re-professionalize and re-equip the armed forces and security agencies to effectively discharge their duties to our nation,” Buhari said at the commissioning of two Nigeria Air Force Agusta 109 Power Helicopters and Mi-17 E Helicopters in Abuja.
“Professionalism, capacity building and adequately equipping the armed forces and other security agencies are a major policy thrust of the administration,” the president said.
He urged the Nigeria Air force to ensure discipline in their operations, as well as a strong maintenance culture that will enable the nation to derive maximum benefits from the newly acquired combat helicopters.
Buhari said the deployment of these equipment would add impetus to the combat efficiency of the air force in combating the contemporary security challenges in the country.
He also noted that two earlier commissioned Agusta 109 Power helicopter gunships, which were procured from Italy over a year ago, had made an impact on the war against terrorism in Nigeria.
The president hailed the military and other security agencies in the country, whilst calling for the stronger contributions of all security agencies toward the decimation of terror group Boko Haram.
“I promised to put an end to Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities that have bedeviled our country during my inaugural speech as President. You will all agree with me that the successes we have achieved so far have restored our pride and honor the world over,” he said.
The purchase of the helicopters further demonstrates the government’s commitment to bringing the security challenges in the country under control, according to the minister of defense, Bashir Magashi.
Since 2015, Nigeria has so far procured and inducted 22 aircraft to take on its security challenges, according to local defense officials.
“And the service is expecting 17 additional platforms including 12 Super Tulcanos from the United States,” said Sadique Abubakar, the country’s air chief.
Abubakar said the visionary approval to purchase more aircraft for the air force since 2015 had impacted positively on the fight against terrorism and other crimes in the country. — NNN-XINHUA
