Sallah: Borno owe you a debt that can never be compensated- Zulum tells NAF
By Ladi Jossy, Maiduguri
The Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has described the undeniable evidence of development by his administration by the unwavering commitments and immense contribution of the Nigerian Air Force in combatting terrorism and other forms of criminalities in the state.
Zulum was represented by State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof Usman Tar during a Sallah luncheon organized by CAS for air components of Operations Hadin Kai Joint Task Force Northeast in Maiduguri on Sunday.
Prof Tar noted the state has witnessed lasting peace and land mark development in viable sectors including: Power, Education, Agriculture, Health and other social infrastructures.
“Let me also express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every of you, for protecting our values and heritage. Off-course, you are a true hero of our society and we owe you a debt that can never be compensated. Spending time away from your beloved ones or facing dangers that comes with defending the integrity of our country, have not gone unnoticed. Your efforts are yielding desired results and I urge you not to rest on your oars.
“The agility and resilience exhibited by NAF personnel in this course, is a sheer example of true spirit of service for humanity. Your sacrifices both seen and unseen, have ensured the safety and security of our communities including the Maiduguri International Airport while enjoy the freedom we hold dear,”Zulum said.
According to him, he said it is his duty to ensure that Air Force have the resources and necessary support needed to carry out their air missions effectively and efficiently bearing in mind their safety and general wellbeing.
In his remarks, the Chief Air Staff Air Marshall Hassan Bala who represented by Commander Air Component of Operations Hadin Kai Joint Task Force Northeast, Air Commodore Umaru Idris noted that recently NAF have added several modern and versatile platforms in its inventory to meet national security challenges.
“Crew of the various platforms are currently undergoing series of tactical training and would be inducted into various theatres of operations any time soon.
“The growing trend of terrorism, banditry and other forms of insecurity in the country necessitated the need to project a wide range of airpower roles in all spectrum of warfare,”
He acknowledge the combined efforts of the NAF alongside their sister services and other security agencies have yielded positive results, with diverse impact on Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in recent times.
“The concerted efforts of the Joint Forces have significantly depleted terrorists capacity to carry out attacks on hard/soft targets.
“Despite our efforts and achievements. However, security threats emanating from non-state actors remains subject of concern. I therefore, urge you to emplace robust security measures to secure the Base and its critical assets as well as lives and properties within the host communities.”CAS noted.
