Nigeria Army has frowned at statements making rounds on social media that soldiers are proceeding on mass voluntary retirement due to corruption, poor service conditions and low morale.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, had granted approval for 91 NA/32/4792 WO Ndagana Ishiaku and 242 other soldiers on voluntarily discharge from the Army.
Several commentators have traced the mass retirement in a time that the military needs more manpower to corruption and low morale.
However, the Army in a statement issued by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu during the weekend, said the allegation is a ‘concoction of the imagination of the unrepentant enemies of the nation and mischief makers and should be outrightly discountenanced by the public’.
Gen Nwachukwu said the allegation was an attempt to weaken the spirit and loyalty of soldiers who are at the war fronts in defence of the country, he added, however, that the move failed on arrival.
According to him, the way that recruitment into the Nigerian Army is volunteering, so also is room given for volunteering retirement and discharge while saying the practice is age-long.
“The subjective and unethical report is a distraction and another failed attempt at dampening the morale and fighting will of the loyal, dedicated and patriotic fighting force of the NA.
“Perhaps these impenitent mischief makers need to be schooled to understand that the NA is not a conscript Army and that recruitment into the NA is voluntary with extant policy on discharge and retirement of soldiers and officers respectively, like other organizations.
“This provides its personnel the opportunity to apply for voluntary discharge, when they deem fit and meet the terms and conditions as stipulated in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service soldiers/ratings/airmen (Revised) 2017.
“It is thus, the inalienable right of a personnel to voluntarily or on medical grounds apply for discharge, if they meet the terms. It is therefore not an aberration that the COAS granted approval for 91 NA/32/4792 WO NDAGANA ISHIAKU and 242 others to voluntarily discharge from the NA, as being unprofessionally manipulated by some media,” he said.
Nwachukwu further said the Army under Gen Yahaya is well motivated as various interventions, welfare schemes and initiatives targeted at boosting the morale of soldiers and officers are being embarked upon.
According to him, the intervention programmes include car loans, housing loans, extensive construction of new accommodation, massive renovation of old and dilapidated accommodation.
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Others are building of befitting residences and issuing of vehicles to Regimental Sergeant Majors, scholarship awards to children and wards of fallen heroes and other unique interventions in the theatres of operation to sustain the heightening morale of troops.
He said these interventions evidently account for troops’ game changing onslaught in the Northeast.
“It must also be mentioned, that the quantum of equipment that have been injected into the theatres and prompt payment of operational allowances, have all turned the tide against the insurgents.
“Also worthy of note is the welfare flight for troops, which has significantly reduced the burden of troops travelling in and out of the theatres, in addition to huge commitment on the medical needs of wounded-in-action soldiers and the barracks communities.
“Equally important, is the fact that troops are now being regularly and consciously rotated from the frontline, hence, issues of overstay and battle fatigue are gradually being overcome. Suffice to say, that some of these recently discharged soldiers are beneficiaries of these giant strides,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff has congratulated the discharging personnel for their gallantry, patriotism, loyalty and courage while in service and wished them the very best as they successfully exit active service from the Army.
Gen Yahaya also reiterated his avowed determination to continue to have direct impact on the welfare and wellbeing of both serving and retired personnel while assuring the retirees that soon, their various commanders would organise a farewell luncheon in their honour, as it is the practice in the Nigerian Army since he took over.
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