Some soldiers involved in the ongoing onslaught against Boko Haram
terrorists in Borno State have sent a Save- Our- Soul (SOS) to President
Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur
Buratai over alleged embezzlement by one of their top officials.
But
the Army Headquarters has assured the allegations would be investigated
despite stating the aggrieved soldiers went about their complaints
wrongly.
According to the petition, the top official allegedly
siphoned their welfare and allowances and refused to pay cigarette
allowances since January despite a signal from the Nigerian Army (NA),
notifying them of the introduction of N200 monthly cigarette allowance.
The
aggrieved soldiers alleged that instead of N24, 000 welfare allowance,
including N12, 000 given them by the COAS, the official only paid them
N12, 000.
“The only money he paid is the N12000 welfare given to
us by COAS. Other battalions under the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya
Dole have already paid their soldiers N24, 000 including the N12000 of
COAS,” they said.
The soldiers also alleged that the official
exposes them to danger by refusing to send vehicles and escorts to
Maiduguri to bring back soldiers who went on pass, a tradition, they
said previous COs upheld.
“He said the way and manner you enter
civilians’ vehicles to the camp is none of his business and any soldier
that fails to return to camp with civilian vehicle on the expiration of
his pass will have N800 per day deducted from his money.
“Sir,
could you believe that he deducted N800 from each soldier that returned
from pass last time from the N12000 given to us by COAS which some
soldiers refused to collect the remaining of the money till now?
“Right
before the increment of Operations allowances, our previous COs used to
give us at the end of every month: one pack of sugar, 12 sachets of
chocolate and 12 eggs. Immediately Lt.-Col Asemota took over command he
said he is not going to give us any ‘looking good’ again that it’s
costly.
“We do not go to town pass anymore and it takes each soldier seven to eight months before going on normal pass.
“Sir,
we will be happy and our low morale will be highly motivated if you
look into our pains and treat accordingly,” they stated.
Contacted,
the Army Operations Media Media Coordinator Colonel Aminu Iliyasu said
there were laid down channels for such grievances to be reported.
He
said: “The soldiers chose the wrong approach in voicing their alleged
grievances. There are laid down procedures in the NA to complain and
they know it.
“That notwithstanding, the army will investigation the allegations once it gets the petition.
“A
Board of Inquiry will be set up to probe these claims and if
substantiated, be assured sanctions will be meted in line with
provisions of the Armed Forces Act.
“The Nigerian Army views such issues seriously and cannot hide anything.”
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