Reps Probe Army Over Non-payment of Soldiers’ Allowances Despite Budget Increment
- Lawmakers are not happy over the allegation that allowances have not been paid to soldiers by the Nigerian Army since 2017
- According to the lawmakers, the non-payment came despite an increment in budgetary provision for these allowances
- The Army said the increment was necessary because of the current economic realities in the country
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Members of the House of Representatives are not happy with Nigeria's military hierarchy because of an allegation against it.
The Nigerian Army has been accused of non-payment of non-regular allowances to soldiers since 2017, Punch Newspaper reports.
Source: Facebook
As a result of this, the House, has vowed to investigate the Army over this.
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It mandated its Committee on Army to “investigate the disbursement of non-regular allowances to Army personnel from 2017 till date and report back to the House within four weeks.”
The motion to investigate the Army was moved by Abubakar Nalaraba, Business Day added.
According to him, the allowance includes payments such as first 28 days allowance, operations allowance and duty tour allowance of soldiers and officers.
He said:
“The House is concerned that despite the increment in budgetary provision for non-regular allowances from N283bn in 2020 to about N380bn in 2021, the Army personnel have not felt the corresponding effect, and personnel of Nigerian Army involved in internal security operations, training and performance of other military duties are still being owed various types of non-regular allowances.”
He claimed that the increment was captured in the Manual of Finance Administration and approved for implementation by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 26, 2018.
Counter-insurgency war in northeast
In another report, the Nigerian Army disclosed that it wants to conclude the counter-insurgency operations in the northeastern parts of the country.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General Farouk Yahaya, made the statement on Saturday, June 26, during his visit to troops on the frontlines in Yobe state.
The army boss stated that the military would move on to other engagements when it ends insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast region.
Army dismisses Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s allegation
In another news, the Nigerian Army has dismissed Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s allegation that its personnel were colluding with bandits terrorising the northern part of the country.
Army's spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Nigerian Army remained a symbol of national unity that has discharged its constitutional responsibilities in the most professional manner in line with global best practices.
He stated that army personnel had always adhered to the rules of engagement and protection of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.
Gumi, a respected Islamic cleric, had made the allegations when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV.
Source: Legit.ng
