Nigeria Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika
The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other aviation agencies to incorporate policies and activities that show appreciation of both the serving and retired military personnel in Nigeria.
Towards this end, he has directed that priority should be given to them during check-ins and flight boarding as obtains in other nations.
In a statement by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Media and Public Affairs, James Odaudu, the minister gave the directive when members of Defence Headquarters Committee for Sensitisation Strategy on Public Appreciation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, visited him in his office.
He also directed that special messages appreciating the sacrifices and achievements of the military be included in flight announcements at intervals.
According to him, the military deserved to be appreciated for their sacrifices in ensuring the security and safety of the country and its citizens, emphasizing that the nation’s armed forces had done extremely well in ensuring that Nigeria remained a united and indivisible entity.
He said that Nigerians must appreciate the armed forces for their roles in the peace-keeping efforts in West African sub-region and other parts of the world, adding that the military was one institution where the oneness of Nigeria was displayed.
The minister also pledged to produce stickers with the permission of the military authority to appreciate the armed forces for their sacrifices to the nation.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Air Vice Marshal Jomo Osahor, said the visit was to solicit for support from aviation industry to sensitise the public on the need to appreciate Nigerian armed forces.
Osahor said the committee was set up by the Chief of Defence Staff, to develop strategies to sensitise the public on how the members of the armed forces could be appreciated for their sacrifices and commitment to the service of the nation.
He said that the committee came up with the plan to request from the management of airports, through the minister to incorporate a message of appreciation to the military into its flight announcements and other media available to them.
The committee’s assignment, according to Osahor, was in line with the theme for the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day “Appreciating the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
