Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, has assumed office as the new Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
He took over from the erstwhile spokesman, AVM Edward Gabkwet.
In his remarks, Akinboyewa lauded Gabkwet’s efforts toward projecting NAF’s image over the years, saying his predecessor had done an outstanding job.
Akinboyewa said that Gabkwet always kept the public abreast of all the Air Force’s efforts in ensuring that Nigerians were safe to do their lawful businesses.
The new NAF spokesman also solicited the support, synergy, and partnership of the media toward achieving the directorate’s mission.
Akinboyewa said that the assignment given to him was daunting, and pledged to put in his best to justify the confidence reposed in him through the media’s support.
He said: “Let me start by expressing my profound gratitude to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.
”This is for the confidence he reposes in me to entrust me with the very great responsibility of managing the image and reputation of a great service such as the NAF.
“It is important to also mention that the successes that he has recorded would not have been possible, if not for the support and the synergy that we enjoy from our partners, the media, your good selves.”
He stressed that without the media’s support and cooperation, the successes would not have been possible.
Akinboyewa solicited for the same support, partnership, and synergy to continue.
He said that he was very open to the media’s input and advice, and urged journalists to reach him at whatever time of the day or night.
“If a call does not go through, put a message through on WhatsApp and you definitely will hear back from me.
“The key thing that we need to meet is that we are firm partners when it comes to securing this country and protecting the people.
“The armed forces and the NAF in particular and the media, must maintain a very strong, firm and robust synergy,” he emphasised.
According to him, without such synergy, the goals of making Nigeria a peaceful, prosperous and safe place for the people, which the service and media both share, cannot be achieved.
Earlier, the former spokesman, Gabkwet, thanked the Chief of Air Staff for giving him a second opportunity to serve the NAF as its spokesperson.
He expressed confidence that his successor would continue to project NAF and its activities, urging the media to continue to support NAF in its operations.
“He will be continuing from where I stopped.
“I strongly believe that the Chief of Air Staff could not have picked a better senior officer to continue to project the image of Nigerian Air Force to the Nigerian public.
“I strongly believe that Akinboyewa comes fully prepared for this appointment.
”This is because he is somebody that I have known for about 30 years now, right from our days at the Nigerian Defence Academy in the early ‘90s,” he said.
Gabkwet enjoined journalists to extend the kind of relationship which he enjoyed with them to his successor.
He explained that it was the surest way that he would be able to settle down quickly and continue to do the good work, which he was known for.
“I would like to use this opportunity to solicit for your friendship, for your hand of fellowship to the new director.
“And for your collaboration, advice, and guidance to enable him to settle down in his new assignment and continue to do what is very important to us,” he added.
The Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Abuja Chapter, Mr Stanley Ogadigo, also lauded Gabkwet’s professional way of handling, projecting and managing the image of NAF over the years.
Ogadigo urged the new spokesman to sustain the high level of professionalism of NAF’s public relations to deal with issues of reputation building and management.
According to him, reputation is a core asset that every organisation should work very hard to maintain.
He added that, being a member of NIPR, the institute would appreciate his flying its flag at the highest professional level. (NAN)
