Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has praised President Bola Tinubu for approving salary increases for about 250,000 members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, saying the decision would improve the morale and welfare of military personnel.
President Tinubu recently approved salary adjustments ranging from 30 to 80 per cent for personnel in the Armed Forces, with the new pay structure scheduled to take effect next month.
The review will increase the Armed Forces’ annual wage bill from N660 billion to N924 billion. Officers above the rank of colonel, including brigadier-generals, major-generals, lieutenant-generals and generals, will receive a 30 per cent increase.
Personnel from the rank of colonel down to warrant officer will receive a 50 per cent increase, while those from private to staff sergeant will benefit from an 80 per cent rise.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Ndume, a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said the salary adjustment demonstrated that the President had a defined strategy for addressing insecurity.
He said, “This coming after his recent expansion of military divisions from eight to 12 shows that Mr. President has his own blueprint aimed at dealing with the scourge of terrorism and banditry.
“The review of salary will go a long way in motivating our military personnel. I have been in the vanguard of better motivation for our men and officers in the military in terms of decent living wage.
“President Tinubu has once again proved that he is a responsive leader who doesn’t shut his mind to genuine and legitimate agitation of Nigerians.”
However, the Borno South senator stressed that improved salaries alone would not be enough to defeat insurgency. He called on the Federal Government to complement the welfare package with the timely provision of weapons, ammunition and other essential military equipment.
Ndume said, “I have always argued that aside better welfare package and training, what they need to deal with insurgents is prompt supply of arms and ammunition.
“I also want to urge Mr. President to keep up his pledge on the provision of weapons and technological tools required to the Armed Forces to effectively discharge their duties.”
The APC chieftain also advocated placing the military’s annual defence allocation on First Line Charge to minimise administrative bottlenecks and delays.
According to him, “All these can be achieved seamlessly if we put their annual budget on First Line Charge. This envelope budgeting is trapped in unnecessary bureaucracy between the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Finance. It is a big encumbrance to effective operations of our men and officers in the war theater.
“Mr. President should seize the initiative to ensure direct statutory transfer from the Federation Account for the military as it is done with few agencies of government.”