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  • Updated: July 14, 2020

Reps Take Legislative Action On Mass Resignation Of Nigerian Soldiers

Reps Take Legislative Action On Mass Resignation Of Nigerian

 

The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to investigate the alleged voluntary retirement of soldiers from the Nigerian Army, warning that the development will worsen the security crises across the country.

The House during the day's plenary unanimously adopted a motion moved by the Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, and co-sponsored by Deputy Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu; and Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu.

The motion on a matter of urgent national importance was entitled: ‘Need to Investigate the Purported Voluntary Resignation of Over 365 Soldiers from the Nigerian Army’.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Army to “investigate these allegations and report back in one week”.

Monguno, had while moving the motion, said the Nigeria Army, which was founded in 1960, is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces with a staff strength of about 200,000 soldiers, with the responsibilities of taking charge of land warfare operations as well as protest and defend the territorial integrity of the country.

The Chief Whip recalled that on June 22, 2020, a Lance Corporal in the Nigerian Army, Martin Idakpein, published a video on the Internet in which he condemned the lackadaisical attitude of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, towards the attacks and killings of civilians and soldiers as well as the untold hardship soldiers face while conducting combat operations.

Monguno said, “The House is aware that on several occasions Nigerian soldiers have disobeyed orders from superior officers in protest against poor welfare arrangements and alleged embezzlement of allowances due them by their superiors. There have been cases of mutiny resulting in sporadic shooting and attempt lynching of senior officers.

“Recently, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Nigeria‘s counter-terrorism headquarters, was removed for complaining about inferior military wares and poor equipment of troops, while briefing the Chief of Army Staff from combat zone after successfully repelling an attack from Boko Haram insurgents.

“The House is concerned that not too long ago, the General Officer Commanding, 7 Division, of the Nigeria Army in Maimalari, Major General Victor Ezegwu, escaped being lynched by rampaging soldiers for leaving them with neither food nor water while fighting in the northeastern part of the country for two days.

“The House is further concerned that on the 3rd of July 2020, via a (a memo with) Reference Number NA/COAS/001, 356 soldiers, which is a battalion, serving in the North-East and other theatres of operations, wrote to the Chief of Army Staff, asking for voluntary retirement from the force and citing loss of interest as reasons for their retirement.”

The Chief Whip stated that the House was disturbed that military sources had attributed the massive resignations to loss of morale, unimproved allowances, mass casualties in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists due to lack of intelligence apparatus and fighting equipment as well as poor welfare packages for them and their families by the army authorities.

Monguno disclosed that military sources have attributed these massive resignations to loss of morale, unimproved allowances, mass casualties in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists.

He said that the sources blamed it on lack of intelligence apparatus and fighting equipment’s as well as poor welfare packages for soldiers and their families by the army authorities.

The lawmaker said rather than addressing the challenges, the Chief of Army staff via a 17-page circular and signed by Brig. -Gen. T.E Gagariga, graciously approved the voluntary retirement of a battalion of aggrieved soldiers in one fell swoop.

He said if the situation is not brought under control by nipping the influx of able ex-army officers into the society without job security, it may become a serious security threat.

According to him, “it is an impending military mutiny that may imperil our democracy, hence the need to urgently tackle this impending menace.”

In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, mandated the Committee on Army to investigate the allegations and report back in one week for further legislative actions.

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