Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has redeployed a total of 36 Air Vice Marshals (AVMs) and 40 Air Commodores (Air Cdres) including some Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), Commandants of Tri-Service Institutions, Directors and Commanders.
According to Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, “The appointments and redeployments, which followed the recent promotion of some senior officers to the next higher ranks as well as the retirement of some senior officers, is a routine exercise aimed at further re-invigorating operational efficiency and enhancing service delivery.”
Branch Chiefs affected by the redeployment include AVM Oladayo Amao, the former Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP) Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF), who has now been appointed as the Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP); while AVM James Gwani, the erstwhile AOC Special Operations Command (SOC), has been appointed as the new CTOP.
Additionally, AVM Musibau Olatunji has been appointed as the new Chief of Aircraft Engineering (CAcE), while AVM Mohammed Idris has been appointed as the Chief of Administration (COA) HQ NAF.
Also redeployed are AVM Abubakar Liman, the erstwhile Commandant of the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (AFRC), Oshodi, who has now been appointed as Commandant Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji; AVM Kingsley Lar, the former COA HQ NAF, has been appointed as the Commandant of AFRC, Oshodi; while AVM Abdulganiyu Olabisi, the former AOC Logistics Command (LC) is now the Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna.
The new AOCs include: AVM Olusegun Philip, who is now the AOC Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC) in Makurdi; AVM Charles Ohwo, the former AOC TAC, who is now the AOC SOC, Bauchi; AVM Ibukun Ojeyemi who has been appointed as the AOC Mobility Command (MC) in Yenagoa and AVM Musa Muktar who is the new AOC Air Training Command (ATC); while the former Commandant AFCSC, AVM Lawal Alao, is now the AOC LC, Ikeja.
Other senior officers redeployed include AVM Anderson Kassimu who is now the Managing Director NAF Properties Limited; AVM Mohammed Suleiman who is appointed as the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans (CDPP), Defence Headquarters (DHQ), AVM Tunde Awoyoola as Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation, DHQ; AVM Ubrufi Uzezi as Deputy Chief of the Defence Space Administration and AVM Charles Otegbade to the Air Traffic Services Training Centre (ATSTC), Kaduna as Commandant.
Also affected are AVM Idi Lubo who is now the Director of Policy HQ NAF, AVM Ayoola Jolasinmi who is appointed as Director of Operations, AVM Aliyu Pani as the Director of Administration and Air Commodore Abraham Adole as Director of Training, HQ NAF.
Also redeployed is the former Commander 011 Presidential Air Fleet (011 PAF), AVM Hassan Abubakar who is now the Chief of Staff (COS) MC, Yenagoa. He is to be replaced by Air Commodore Abubakar Abdullahi while Air Commodore Simon Peter is to take over as the Commander 053 NAF Camp, Abuja and Air Commodore Razak Olanrewaju is appointed as the new Commander 651 Bases Services Group, Ikeja.
Daramola, said that the newly appointed and redeployed senior officers are expected to take over their new offices not later than Tuesday, 7 January 2020.