The newly appointed Director of Information and Public Relations (DOPRI), Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, has pledged to ensure a high level of professionalism and seamless collaboration with the 4th Estate of the Realm during his tenure.
Akinboyewa spoke at the handing-over ceremony where he took over from his predecessor, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet.
He expressed profound gratitude to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, for the confidence he reposed in him by giving him the responsibility of managing the image and reputation of a great service such as the Nigerian Air Force.
He said, “As my predecessor noted, this is a daunting responsibility, and the importance of that is not lost on me at all, but I trust that by the grace of God and with the guidance of the Chief of Air Staff and my senior colleagues, I will make the best of it.
“I must also extol the commendable work that has been done by the former Director of Public Relations, my mentor and friend. He has done such an outstanding job of projecting the Nigerian Air Force and continuing to make sure that the public is kept aware of all the efforts that go into ensuring that Nigerians are safe to go about their lawful businesses.
“It’s 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.
“Without your support, without your cooperation, the successes would not have been possible. And so I want to use this opportunity to solicit that same support, that same partnership, that same synergy should continue. I am very open to your input and your advice. You can reach me 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 of Nigeria, in particular the Nigerian Air Force and the media, must maintain a very strong, a very firm, a very robust synergy. Because without that synergy, the goals that we share of making Nigeria a peaceful, prosperous, and safe place for our people cannot be achieved.
“Again, I want to reiterate my call for your support and for your friendship. And I want to encourage you to not hesitate to give us feedback, to give us your input, and to keep close contact with us as we do the work of keeping Nigeria safe and secure. I look forward to continuing the relationship that has been built over the years by my able predecessor.
“I look forward to continuing this engagement to ensure that the Nigerian public, for whom we all work, the people whom we all serve, are kept abreast of the activities, the accomplishments, the achievements, and also the challenges of the Nigerian Air Force as we work to make Nigeria a safe, prosperous, and peaceful place for all Nigerians to enjoy.”
His predecessor, AVM Gabkwet, urged the Nigerian media to cooperate with the new spokesman.
