By Olukayode Idowu, Maiduguri
As part of its sustained efforts to enhance the welfare of personnel for effective service delivery, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) today, 6 June 2020, commissioned a new Girls’ Hostel Block at the Air Force Comprehensive School (AFCS) Kaduna as well as 2 newly renovated blocks of 6 x 3 bedroom quarters for married officers at NAF Base Kaduna. The furnished Girls’ Hostel was named after Group Captain Jumai Philip Musa (rtd), one of the past Commandants of AFCS and pioneer Commandant of the erstwhile Air Force Girls’ Comprehensive School Kano, in recognition of her meritorious service towards uplifting educational standards in the NAF.
Speaking during the commissioning, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, represented by the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command (AOC ATC), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Musa Mukhtar, noted that the newly constructed 200-bed capacity Girls’ Hostel and blocks of 6 x 3 bedroom renovated married officers’ accommodation were provided to further enhance qualitative education and service delivery. According to him, “these projects would greatly ameliorate the accommodation deficiencies in the school and the Base. This would in turn enable the school’s administration to better focus on their task of ensuring qualitative secondary education thereby contributing more significantly to the development of our future leaders”.
Speaking further, the CAS urged the officers to rededicate themselves and continue to add value towards making the Service more relevant and efficient in addressing the current and emerging security challenges in the Country. He emphasized that, as members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, personnel must be driven by the support and goodwill of all Nigerians to the NAF to do more for the Nation. “Our loyalty and service to the Nation must always be our motivation”, he added.
While reiterating that the NAF would continue to execute relevant projects to provide conducive home and work environments for enhanced professional performance, the CAS urged the officers and students to make use of the facilities with a high sense of responsibility and proper maintenance culture. He also urged them to remain disciplined and committed to their jobs and studies. This, he said, was the only way to pay the system back for the investment in their wellbeing. He ended his remarks by commending the AOC ATC and his staff officers for the supervisory roles played in ensuring timely and qualitative completion of the projects.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commandant AFCS, Wing Commander Sadisu Garba, whilst appreciating the CAS for his support to the school, noted that the project was borne out of the need to ease acute shortage of accommodation being experienced in the school, especially for female students. He said the completion of the fully furnished 200-bed capacity hostel would help to reduce congestion and would undoubtedly contribute towards improving the output of the students.
