‘Military, Civilian Co-operation, Solution To Security Challenges’

The Commander of the 97 Special Operations Group (SOG), Air Commodore Sadiq Baba Abubakar, has called for close co-operation between civilians and the military as means of tackling security challenges within the society. Air Commondore Abubakar made the appeal, yesterday, when Governor Chibuike Rotimi Aamechi paid him a working visit at the Special Operations Group in Port Harcourt.

Air Commodore Abubakar said the 97 Special Operations Group has been adopting the civilian/military approach to issues of host community relations for some time now and that it has proven to be of immense assistance in confronting security challenges.

“Under this package, we render some free social services to the host community with a view to promoting the relationship with them”, he said, emphasizing that the civilians have proved to be of assistance at crucial times.

The Commander hinted that the group had also intensified the training of its officers and men to enhance their operational capabilities especially in dealing with security challenges that have emanated after the amnesty offer and narrated some problems faced by them.

While expressing gratitude to the Rivers State Government for its enormous gesture to the Nigeria Airforce in the state, Air, Commodore Abubakar appealed for more assistance in the areas of renovation of the medical facility and hanger, completion of the Catholic Church building, flood control amongst others.

In his speech, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said his administration will remain grateful to the Airforce in the manner it shared professional discipline with other arms of the forces to restore peace in Rivers State.

As an incentive, he said, the Rivers State Government has decided to make the men of the Airforce comfortable while serving in the state, and assured of government’s preparedness to support them in their endeavours.

He explained that the state government decided to build and equip one of its model primary school at the base at the cost of about N200 million and promised to site one of the model secondary schools, if there is a documented commitment that the school would be open to the public.