- Seeks NAF’s support
Chief of Staff (COS), Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Major General Prince Charles Johnson III has commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) for playing a vital role in the restoration of peace and stability in Liberia.
Major General Johnson gave the commendation on Friday 15 July 2022 when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
He also paid tributes to late Lieutenant General LN Yusuf and Major General SA Abdurrahman, who served as the first and second COS of the new AFL before handing over to an indigenous COS.
According to him, Nigeria and Liberia have had long standing defence and bilateral relations, saying that “today Liberia has witnessed seventeen years of relative peace and stability because of the sacrifices of men and women of the AFN, for which Liberia is ever grateful and indebted to Nigeria.”
As an expression of Liberia’s depth of gratitude, he said, a befitting memorial was being planned to honour and immortalize the AFN in the annals of Liberia’s history especially, those who paid the supreme price with their lives to bring peace to Liberia.
Responding, General Irabor said the AFN remains proud to have actively participated in the restoration of peace, law and order to Liberia during the period of the country’s security challenges.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has expressed the willingness of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to assist the AFL in developing its airpower capability.
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The Liberia COS with his team had paid similar visits to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, Chief of Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao in their offices at the Armed Forces Complex in Abuja after visiting General Irabor.
The CAS while receiving Major General Johnson, who sought for assistance of NAF in developing Liberian Air Wing, said “Whenever you have pilots for further training, be rest assured that our training schools are open for them to become full-fledged pilots under the Nigerian Air Force pilots training programme.”
Amao further advised the AFL to take advantage of NAF’s technical and engineering schools for non-pilot courses such as the Air Traffic Control and ground support crew.
The CAS also noted that the NAF would support the AFL in providing airlift capability for AFL contingent to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali once the request is made.
The visiting COS was accompanied by Colonel JS Willie (Commander Liberia Coast Guard), Colonel ON Ejiga (a Nigeria, who is a Senior Adviser ECOWAS Advisory Training Team to Liberia) and Captain JJ Dwanah (Liberia Military Pilot).
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