By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Uyo-The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has expressed the desire of the NAF to partner with the two universities in Akwa Ibom State in the area of Research and Development towards further improving the aircraft maintenance capability of the NAF.
He stated that similar partnerships with other Nigerian universities had already revealed the abundance of talents as a result of which the NAF was able to resolve some aircraft maintenance related challenges.
The CAS who said these at the commissioning of a newly built block of boys’ hostel at Air Force Comprehensive School (AFCS) Uyo, announced that a team of NAF officers from the Air Force Research and Development Centre would soon visit the 2 universities in the State in respect of the planned collaboration.
Air Marshal Abubakar noted that the befitting new hostel, which was designed and constructed by engineers of the NAF Directorate of Works, is dedicated for the comfort of SS3 students, adding it is expected to be a source of motivation for the junior students to work hard to get to SS3 Class.
The CAS while commending the staff and students of AFCS Uyo for the exemplary and impressive record they had shown over the years in the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSSE) results as well as other external examinations and competitions, also recognized that the efforts of the NAF in improving the quality of education in all its schools could not have been possible without the unflinching support of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We are immensely grateful to Mr President for providing the resources and enabling environment for the NAF to effectively deliver on its constitutional roles”, he said.
On his part, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State observed that the quality of the hostel competes favourably with hostels of old in Nigeria’s premier universities and therefore congratulated the CAS on the quality of work done and for improving on the facilities available in the School.
He particularly commended the performance of the School in the last SSSE during which nearly 100 per cent of the students had credits in a minimum of 5 subjects, including Mathematics and English Language and promised that the State Government would support the NAF’s efforts by completing the building of a block of staff quarters, which it had earlier embarked upon.
Governor Udom while receiving the CAS, who later paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, requested for the establishment of a NAF Base in Uyo towards enhancing security in the State as he further stated the readiness of the State to support such a base with the modern aviation facilities available at the Akwa Ibom International Airport Uyo.
He later hosted the CAS and his team of senior NAF officers to a gala night at the Government House Banquet Hall.
In response to the Governor’s request for the establishment of a NAF Base in Uyo, Air Marshal Abubakar stated that due consideration would be given to the request.
It is noteworthy that many of the students in the School are indigenes of Akwa Ibom State.
