The Nigerian military must respond to insinuations in a publication by Sahara Reporters, an online media, which blames the resignation of 25 soldiers over corruption allegations against the Nigerian military.
While it is true that approval was given for the voluntary discharge of the soldiers, the insinuation that the soldiers are voluntarily discharged because of alleged corruption is an implausible attempt to feverishly dampen the morale and fighting spirit of the loyal, dedicated, and patriotic troops. of the NA, causing discontent in the ranks and ultimately panicking the nascent Nigerian government and nation.
Clearly, the medium and its owners need to be educated to understand that the NA is not a conscript army and that recruitment into the NA is voluntary, with policies in place regarding the discharge and retirement of soldiers and officers respectively, like other organizations.
This allows personnel to request voluntary redundancy or retirement when they deem it appropriate and meet the conditions set out in the 2017 Harmonized General Terms and Conditions for Military/Rating/Airmen (Revised) 2017. It is thus the inalienable right of the staff to request voluntary or medical dismissal.
Therefore, it is not an aberration for the COAS to approve the voluntary discharge of soldiers who have voluntarily applied and met the conditions for discharge of the NA, in contrast to the mischievous manipulation of the incident by the media in question.
Given the pedigree of the publishers of the tainted story, whose collective effort has always been devoid of national peace and stability, but rather characterized by the “pull him down” syndrome, division, desire for violent disorder, revolution, and horrific propaganda; it doesn’t take a soothsayer to connect the dots, for a critical mind to realize that the publication was supposed to be sinister and insidious to deflate the high morale of the troops, as there was no factual evidence throughout the report to support the claims.
There is no doubt that the NA has continuously strived to provide a supportive and conducive working environment and conditions for its staff. This is evident in the NA’s continued efforts to improve its operational capabilities, including the injection of equipment into the areas of operations, the prompt payment of operational allowances, including the ration cash allowance recently increased by the new Chief of Staff, the massive construction of new accommodation and extensive renovation of old and dilapidated buildings. These are in addition to the massive financial commitment to the medical needs of wounded soldiers, including medical evacuation abroad, scholarship awards to children and wards of fallen heroes, and other unique interventions in the theaters of operations to sustain the rising morale of troops. Equally important is the deliberate implementation of the army headquarters plan for the rotation of troops from the front line. Hence, issues of overstaying and combat fatigue are gradually overcome and become a thing of the past.
Suffice it to say that the NA under the leadership of Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and professionalism by providing exemplary and pragmatic leadership, and sound administration, which promotes the well-being and motivation of NA will continue to courageously guarantee personnel, and provide the necessary conditions for operational effectiveness while maintaining public trust.
The general public is therefore requested to disregard the manipulative insinuations spread in the said publication as it is patently unfounded.