GOOD NEWS! Former defence chief bags man of the year award

- A former defence chief of intelligence has bagged the leadership and good governance man of the year award

- Retired air vice marshal Monday Morgan will receive the award on Monday, January 2, in Abuja

- The secretary general of the Coalition for Good Governance and Leadership in Africa Olajide Morolayo said Morgan would receive the award for his contributions to national security

The immediate past chief of defence intelligence Monday Morgan (AVM, Retired) has won the 2016 Good Governance and Leadership Man of the Year Award.

A statement by the secretary general of the Coalition for Good Governance and Leadership in Africa Olajide Morolayo said the former intelligence chief bagged the award for his contributions towards national Security and good governance in Nigeria and Africa in general.

Born 56 years ago, Morgan started his primary school education in Wesley Central School Otukpo in 1967 and then proceeded to Wesley High school in 1973.

He completed his secondary education in 1978 and was enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 25th regular combatant in 1979.

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He graduated from the academy in December 1980 and enrolled into Primary Flying School Nigerian air force base Kaduna for a pilot training in 1981.

He graduated as full winged pilot in 1983 after which he got further training as a fighter pilot, the only fighter pilot in his class.

In 1990, he and other NAF pilots ferried fighter jets from Germany to Nigeria in preparation for the ECOMOG air operations.

He was also one of the fighter pilots that fought in Liberia to defeat the rebel Charles Taylor which brought peace to Liberia.

He also actively participated in the air operations in Sierra Leone to extricate the Sierra Leoneans from the grip of Foday Sankoh the rebel leader that ultimately led to peace in Sierra Leone.

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Immediately after his tour of duty in ECOMOG, Morgan proceeded to Angola for the peace keeping operations. He was made the chief air support officer (CASO) of the operations with about 15 UN airplanes under his command.

Apart from his military training the retired senior officer has attended other none flying courses like a diploma in aviation management in the United Kingdom, officer selection process course also in Uk and the Peacekeeping Management course in Tershie Ghana.

He was also a part of a NAF team to the Malaysian air show in 2010.

He has taken leadership positions at various command levels including: Operations officer as flight lieutenant in the Aggressor squadron (ALPH JET SQUADRON) Yola, acting commander Nigerian air force base Yola as a Squadron leader and Airport Commandant Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos as a Wing Commander.

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Morgan through his military career further held the following appointments: chief flying instructor 303 flying School Kano, deputy director training HQ NAF, assistant director peace keeping operations DHQ, group operations officer 303 Flying Training School Kano, director of evaluations HQ NA, deputy director training DHQ and commander Nigerian Airforce base Calabar

Others are: director evaluation HQ NAF, director electronic warfare, senior air staff officer Mobility Command, SASO Tactical Air Command, air officer commanding Logistics Command and commandant Armed Forces Resettlement Center

The retired senior officer is married to his beautiful wife Dr Regina Morgan a chief medical consultant and Head of Department of ophthalmology in the National Hospital Abuja. They are blessed with 3 children.

The statement added that, the award will be presented to the retired AVM in Abuja.