Air Chief meets senior officers, harps on mentorship, discipline

Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar has charged Air Warrant Officers (AWOs) and Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) to promote discipline, regimentation, professionalism and efficient service delivery.

Abubakar also charged them to ensure mentorship of the junior airmen and airwomen through sharing of knowledge, skills, and experience in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

The CAS gave the charge at a Retreat held for AWOs and RSMs serving in various units across the nation, on Wednesday, NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gavkwet, said in a statement.

The air chief emphasised the significance of mentorship in the NAF through sharing of knowledge, skills, and experience, in view of the vast experience and knowledge that the AWOs, RSMs and other Senior-Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) possessed.

He expressed concern over the observed decline in mentoring within the Non-Commissioned Officers’ (NCO) cadre over the years and urged AWOs and RSMs to revive the culture of mentorship in their various units.

Abubakar said the AWOs and RSMs, being the link between the officers’ cadre and the other ranks, must be impartial in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The CAS underscored the importance of maintaining and upholding the high standards of discipline and noted that AWOs and RSMs have the responsibility to ensure that airmen and airwomen under their commands remain disciplined in the discharge of their duties.

He said there was an upward trend of indiscipline being exacerbated through drug abuse, offenses related to sentry duties, and cases of Absence Without Leave (AWOL) across various units.

Abubakar called for a cessation of the trend, adding that AWOs and RSMs could play a crucial role in checkmating the menace.