A prominent civil society organisation, the Democratic Agenda, has strongly condemned the actions of certain individuals within Nigeria who are attempting to sow discord within the Armed Forces.
In an official statement released by the president, Olamide Funsho and secretary, Hammed Tanimu yesterday, the Democratic Agenda emphasized that the personnel of the Armed Forces remain steadfastly loyal to the nation’s constitution.
The organisation asserted that these loyal individuals will not be swayed by the tactics of those who outwardly profess love for Nigeria but secretly harbour intentions of causing turmoil.
The Democratic Agenda’s statement comes as a response to recent reports alleging that some soldiers are appealing for swift intervention from key military figures such as the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Theatre Commander, and the General Commanding Officer of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.
The reports suggest that these soldiers are facing challenges such as inadequate sustenance and delayed allowances.
According to the media accounts, the soldiers lament that they are deprived of sufficient nourishment, with limited access to meat even on a monthly basis. Allegedly, they have resorted to purchasing medicine from public vendors due to lack of medical provisions.
Additionally, there are claims of having to offer bribes to obtain welfare passes in order to briefly leave their service locations and reunite with their families.
The situation appears to extend to soldiers in the Nigerian Military School (NMS) as well. These soldiers have purportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the nonpayment of their Instructor Allowances for the initial quarter of the year.
Conversely, soldiers in other army institutions, such as the Nigerian Depot Army, Nigerian Defence Academy, Nigerian Army School of Language, Nigerian Army College of Education, Nigerian Army School of Medical Sciences, Nigerian Army School of Nursing, and Nigerian Army School of Armour, reportedly continue to receive their allowances.
The Democratic Agenda underscored the importance of recognising global occurrences, stating, “We should take note of situations in certain nations where personal agendas have taken precedence over national interests, resulting in attempts to disrupt the cohesion of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
Asserting their commitment to the nation, the Democratic Agenda declared, “As stakeholders in the Nigerian endeavor, we will not remain silent when certain factions seek to undermine the nation’s stability for their own gain.”
The organisation further expressed unwavering faith in the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa.
They firmly believe that the Armed Forces, under his guidance, remain dedicated to upholding the principles of Nigeria’s Federal Republic constitution and will actively safeguard the progression of democracy.
