With N46,000 Salary We Go Into Oil Bunkering, Kidnapping , Robbery To Survive- Nigeria Army Staff Writes Tinubu

According to the sergeant, the Nigerian government has failed to improve welfare package for military officers as a gesture to show appreciation for their efforts in securing the country.

He added that salaries of junior army personnel was last increased by late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration.

Yar’Adua was elected as Nigerian President in 2006 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and died on May 5, 2010.

The aggrieved personnel in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, obtained by Tracknews on Tuesday noted that to meet financial needs, soldiers now got “involved in illegal duties, oil bunkering, arms and ammunition deal, armed robbery and kidnapping”.

The letter titled, “OPEN LETTERS TO ADDRESS OUR SUFFERING IN THE NIGERIAN ARMY” urged the President to attend to their plight.

The soldier further asked Tinubu to thoroughly investigate happenings in the army, particularly issues involving and affecting the rank and file.

“Sir, with due respect, I hereby open up to you on how we are from the Army Authorities, this very letter is about our current challenges within the Army alone, not Nigerian Navy nor Nigerian Air Force.

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“We have lost our morale already, in the Army today, all the Generals are only after their families, they are less concerned about the solutions to the current insecurity in Nigeria. Most of these insecurity challenges that we are facing today have these army Generals behind them, so they can keep seeing free money that can’t be accounted for.

“Secondly the salaries of the junior soldiers need to be addressed. Among all the security agencies in Nigeria today, army junior personnel are the ones being paid the lowest. So we need a proper review of our salaries as junior soldiers are now involved in illegal duties, oil bunkering, sabotage, arms and ammunition deal, armed robbery and kidnapping.

“Since 2008 that late President Yar’dua increased our salaries, nothing has been added to it till date, that was 16 years ago. Private soldiers still collect N46,657,67. Sir, Lance Corporals are being paid N50,139.90, Corporals collect N51,980.89 while Sergeants take home N56,798.70 only monthly.

“Mr President, Staff Seageant are still being paid N67,585.46, Warrant Officers collect 87,900.57 while Master Warrant Officers after over 30 years in service are paid N130,976.20 monthly in this current economy.”

The Personnel urged the president to look into it as an urgent treat.