Skip to main content

Liberia’s First Military Pilots Graduate in Nigeria

Two officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), 2nd Lieutenants Jerreck Jeff Dwanah, Jr., and Varney A. Sieleaf,  are the first post war certified commercial pilots in the AFL.    They were winged on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the Nigerian Airforce Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

Upon their return to Liberia, the two officers will pioneer the establishment of the Liberia Air Wing.
Speaking at their graduation ceremony, the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Liberia, retired Major General Daniel Dee Ziankahn, Jr., extended gratitude on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia, President George Manneh Weah, and lauded the people and Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the many sacrifices they continue to make in resuscitating Liberia to a peaceful country after nearly fourteen years of civil crisis.
General Ziankahn acknowledged the role played by the Government of Nigeria in the restructuring process of the post war AFL that saw the seconding of two of its finest Major Generals, the late Maj Gen Luka N. Yusu, and the late Maj Gen Suraj A. Abdurrahman, who served subsequently as Command Officer-in-Charge of the AFL during its rebranding process and progressively brought the AFL to where it is as a professional army dubbed as a “Force for Good”.

The Liberia Defense Boss hailed the long-standing bilateral ties between Liberia and the Federal Republic of Nigeria that resulted to the promotion of cultural, diplomatic and military relationships.
“We are humbly soliciting for the training of air and ground crew when the Liberia Air Wing is eventually established. We will require your support, guidance and mentorship for the establishment and operation of the Liberia Air Wing,” Minister Ziankahn said.
It can be historicized that on August 23, 2007, the Governments of the Republic of Liberia and the Federal Republic of Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding for military-to-military relations in the rebuilding and professional development of the AFL.
In the actualization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two officers were part of eights cadets that departed Liberia in 2007 to undergo a four-year regular combatant degree course at the prestigious Nigerian Defense Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria.
They commenced their pilot training at the Nigerian Airforce 301 Flying Training School in Kaduna following their graduation as members of 60th Regular Course from the Nigerian Defence Academy in September 2013.
Upon completion of their training at the Nigerian Airforce Training School, the Liberian Government made a passionate appeal for further training. This appeal subsequently saw their enrollment at the Nigerian International Aviation College in IIorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
According to the 2008 New Defense Act, section 5.1, the Liberia Air Wing when activated will undertake search and rescue missions; provide limited air transportation for the movement of troops and logistics for the AFL; undertake medical evacuation; undertake limited marine patrol over Liberian Exclusive Economic Zone and assist government ministries and agencies in times of emergency and natural or man-made disasters as well as assist in the evacuation and logistics movement.

Source: Front Page Africa

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

President George Weah's One Day National Forum Successfully Attended by 26 Political Parties

On Thursday, August 8, 2018, President George Weah had a sit down with 26 political parties of Liberia.  The meeting aimed at advancing ideals that promote the spirit of national unity and political tolerance between opposition political parties and the government.  ANC, LP and UP attended the meeting as a team. According to Deputy Minister Eugene L. Fahngon, Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs at Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism, all 26 political parties attended and participated from start to finish.  Even though, social media was buzzing about AB Dillion walking out of the meeting, he walked out as an individual and not a political party, "the invitation was extended to political parties and not to individuals," Minister Fahngon stated in his live video.  Each political party gave ideals and recommendations, which made the meeting a great success.  According to  Deputy Minister Fahngon, "there will be future engagements as such.&quo

What President Trump and Kim Jong Un Ate

The historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continued midday Tuesday, as the leaders satisfied their appetites while holding negotiations with a contingent of advisers over a working lunch. The lunch, which followed a 45-minute one-on-one meeting between the leaders earlier in the morning and bilateral discussion with senior aides, was held at the Capella Hotel on Singapore’s Sentosa Island. It was far from an intimate affair, with each leader accompanied by a bevy of senior staff, according to the White House. Joining Trump were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Advisor John Bolton, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Deputy Assistant to the President for Asian Affairs Matthew Pottinger. Kim was accompanied by Kim Yong Chol , the former spy chief and one of North Korea’s chief negotiators, as well as Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, former

Snapchat Slammed for Domestic Violence Meme Featuring Rihanna and Chris Brown

If Kylie Jenner ‘s stock-plummeting Snapchat rant didn’t make you delete the app, maybe this will. Over the weekend, Snapchat found itself in hot water after a now-deleted domestic violence meme featuring Rihanna and Chris Brown went viral. The meme, which was an advertisement for the app “Would You Rather,” asked users whether they would prefer to “slap Rihanna” or “punch Chris Brown.” Almost immediately, screenshots of the ad appeared on Twitter, with many criticizing Snapchat for making light of domestic violence. Is it just me, or is this ad that popped up on my Snapchat extremely tone deaf? Like what were they thinking with this? pic.twitter.com/7kP9RHcgNG — Royce Mann (@TheRoyceMann) March 12, 2018 Many considered the ad a mockery of Rihanna’s experience with domestic violence. In 2009, Brown was arrested and charged for physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna hours before she was to perform at the Grammy awards. Since the incident, Rihanna has spo