BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Profile of New Chief of Defense Staff Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike

AIR CHIEF MARSHAL PAUL DIKE

DSS psc (+) fwc MSc CFR

(FORMER)CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF

NIGERIAN AIR FORCE

Air Marshal Paul Dike hails from Issele-Uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. He had his primary education at St Barnabas Primary School, Ilorin and then went to Ogbomosho Grammar School, Oyo state. Paul joined the Nigerian Defence Academy on 22 January 1973 as an officer cadet. He was granted a regular combatant commission into the Nigerian Air Force as Pilot Officer on 21 June 1975.

PROMOTION LADDER

Pilot Officer Paul Dike was promoted Flying Officer on 22 January 19 77 and became Flight Lieutenant on 22 January 1981. By 22 July 1985, Paul Dike was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader. Six year later, on 22 January 1991, he became a Wing Commander. He was promoted to the rank of Group Captain on 22 January 1996. Thereafter, he attained the rank of Air Commodore on 22 January 2001, the rank he held until 22 January 2004 when he was elevated to the rank of Air Vice Marshal.

The 15th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) was promoted to Air Marshal on 30 May 2006, the same day he was appointed CAS.

COURSES ATTENDED

Air Marshal Dike attended several courses at home and abroad. Some of these include, Primary Flying Training at 301 Flying Training School, Kaduna on the Piaggio and Bulldog Aircraft and thereafter proceeded to Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma in the United States for the Undergraduate Pilot Training.

Subsequently, he went back for the Instructor Pilot Training at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, Alabama, USA. The Chief of the Air Staff also attended the MB -339 Tactical Conversion Course and the L-39 Tactical Recurrency Training in Italy and Czechoslovakia respectively. Thereafter, he proceeded to National War College, Abuja. Air Marshal Dike has flown several combat aircraft in the Nigerian Air Force inventory and abroad. Some of these include, Piaggio, Bulldog, Cessna, T-37 Jet Trainer, T-38 Super Sonic, Mig 15, Mig 17, Mig 21, L-29, L-39, MB-339, and the Alpha Jet.

APPOINTMENTS HELD

Air Marshal Paul Dike has held several appointments. He was the Staff Officer (1) Operations, Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. Later, he became an Instructor Pilot at the Operational Conversion Unit of Mig 21, a position which enabled him to be involved in so many Armed Recce Operations in sustenance of our National Defence Objectives, Subsequently, he moved to 303 Flying Training School, Kano as the Chief Flying Instructor. Thereafter, he was appointed Commander, NAF station Yola and later deployed as Commander ECOMOG Air Detachment in Freetown, Sierra Leone. On completion of his tour of duty, he moved to Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji as a Directing Staff.

Air Marshal Dike was also the Commander, National Air Defence Corps and Airport Commandant, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. He was later appointed Deputy Director, Plans at Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force. Thereafter, he was posted to 303 Flying Training School, Kano as Commander. Subsequently, he was appointed Commander, Presidential Air Fleet. He was the Director of Operations at Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force and later moved to Headquarters, Training Command, Kaduna as the Air Officer Commanding. From Kaduna, Air Marshal Paul Dike was posted to Tactical Air Command, Makurdi as the Air Officer Commanding, a position he held until 30 May 2006 when he was appointed the 15th Chief of the Air Staff.

HONOURS AND DECORATIONS

Air Marshal Paul Dike is the recipient of the National Honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). He was given the most outstanding Air Force Officer award for 1996 and the Chief of the Air Staff award for excellence at the National War College, Abuja. Some other medals and decorations received by the Air Marshal Paul Dike include: FSS, MSS DSS psc (+) fwc. He also holds a Masters Degree (Msc) in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan.

HOBBY

He is a keen Tennis player.

MARITAL STATUS

The CAS is happily married.