Your Elevation to New Ranks, indication of Trust Nation Has in You; CAS tells new AVMs, Air Commodores.

Being Speech Read by Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, CAS, at decoration of Air Rank Officers

I am delighted to preside over the decoration and entry into a new chapter of service by these distinguished senior officers. May I welcome families who have equally been a part and indeed have a stake and ownership in what we are celebrating today.

For the promoted officers, the elevation to your new ranks is not only premised on your past performance, but also on your potential for the future.

I therefore, congratulate you on attaining this feat, but must importantly commend your families who stood by you and nudged you even when it seemed difficult to do so.

Promotion is not a right, but a privilege given to selected deserving officers to enable them undertake higher responsibilities.

However, while it is a good thing to be elevated to an air rank or have more stars and bars on our shoulders, it is more fulfilling to say in retrospect that “l have done this much.”

It is only then that you will be convinced that you have added value to our noble profession and by extension, our dear nation.

It is popular saying that “to whom much is given, much more is expected”. These words aptly capture the essence of responsibility associated with promotion.

Indeed, because promotion comes with responsibility, the Service will require you to justify your elevation by showing commitment to your responsibilities and upholding the core value of excellence in service that defines the Nigerian Air Force.

While your duties and tasks will be more tedious, crucial and demanding, you will be expected to be more thorough, prudent and selfless in your delivery.

I therefore urge you to give your utmost in your new ranks and by extension, begin to work for the next level of elevation. You must also at all times be guided by our social contract with the Nigerian people.

Because the Nigerian tax payers will pay more for your salaries and allowances, they will in turn expect you to reciprocate by working harder to ensure that our communities are stable, safe and secured.

Coming at a time when we are faced with daunting security challenges, nothing is more crucial to us than earning public trust.

Your elevation to your new ranks therefore, is also an indication of the trust the nation has in you to find an enduring solution to the nation ’3 security challenges.

The Service has over the years invested a lot in capacity building, reactivation and maintenance of its aircraft fleet, as well as welfare and infrastructural development initiatives for better performance.

While these efforts have yielded substantial results in terms of improved security conditions, it is imperative to mention that our exploits so far could not have been possible without the support of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Nigerian Air Force is indeed grateful to Mr President and remains loyal and committed to Mr. President’s vision of a secure and prosperous nation.

On that note, I charge you all to rededicate yourselves to the service of our nation and brace up for the challenges ahead for “in the race to add value to our society and secure our communities, there is no finishing line. ”

At this juncture, may I once more congratulate the newly promoted officers and their families on your well-deserved elevation.

As you step into the next level, it is instructive for you to be guided by the words of Admiral Richard E Byrd which states “few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used. “

Once again, thank you and God bless.

END