The Nigerian Army has confirmed that the President Bola Tinubu-led government has yet to pay its soldiers their August salaries and allowances.
This was disclosed in a memo issued by the army authorities on Monday while urging the soldiers to exercise patience, saying efforts were ongoing to ensure prompt entitlement payments.
The memo reads:
“TEXT: LATE PMT OF SAL AND NON REG ALLCE AUG 24. DIR YOU INFO TPS THAT SAL AND NON REG ALLCE FOR AUG 24 IS YET TO BE PAID BY FGN. EFFORTS ARE ONGOING TO ENSURE PMT IS EFFECTED ASAP. TPS ARE REQ TO REMAIN PATIENT. PSE TREAT AS URGENT AND ACT.”
Delay in payment of salaries and bonuses of the Nigerian Army is not a recurring event in Nigeria.
In October 2022, some soldiers lamented the delayed payment of their salaries and the non-increment of such for over 10 years that they had been in service.
An army Sergeant who spoke with newsmen had also alleged that army authorities had impoverished the personnel in the lower cadre with no increment in their salaries for years with some enduring about 12 years of stagnant pay.
He had affirmed that the least personnel in the army earns only around N50,000.
Other soldiers had corroborated that their monthly salary was among lowest in the security personnel, stressing that to feed their families and relatives was now a challenge.
He said; “Honestly we the junior ranks in the Nigerian Army are dying in silence; for over 12 to 13 years; no salary increment, and we are seriously working without any benefit from our superior officers.
“Our salary is always delayed for no reason. No soldier has collected a salary for September yet.
“Our monthly salary amongst the securities personnel; in the army is the lowest for the junior one, honestly we need help.
“Things are not going well with us, our salary is not enough even to pay for school pees plus feeding your families and relatives.
“I’m a Sergeant with 24 years In service and my salary is N81,500, while police constables receive N84,000 monthly.”
“A Private soldier is entitled to N50,000 as salary monthly; even a warrant officer in the army gets N92,000 while their colleagues in the Nigerian civil defense collect N96,000 monthly as salary. Honestly, I’m completely discouraged in the system,” another soldier lamented.
(Sahara Reporters)
