Aggrieved Army Personnel Petitions COAS, Demands Redeployment Of CPM, ICC

Some aggrieved Army personnel have petitioned the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbajao   to redeploy the Chief of Personnel Management (CPM), Maj. Gen. Y Yahaya and Infantry Corp Commander (ICC), Maj Gen OO Oluyede, over what they described as corruption and lack of care.

According to them, the alleged corrupt act of the COM and the ICC has led to the mass retirement of military personnel and desertion, Naija News learned.

They claimed that contrary to the Armed Forces Act on operations of the Nigerian military that stipulates that soldiers shouldn’t stay in a location beyond four years, many soldiers have been confined in one barracks for eight and ten years.

Speaking with SaharaReporters on Tuesday based on anonymity, some of the aggrieved soldiers alleged that they have refused to publish Infantry postings throughout this year, noting that it was an exercise due to be done quarterly.

In the petition addressed to the COAS and sighted by the platform, the aggrieved army personnel also claimed “Maj Gen Y Yahaya, Chief of Personnel Management (CPM), and Maj Gen OO Oluyede, Infantry Corp Commander (ICC); have not released Infantry posting throughout this year. Infantry posting is supposed to be released quarterly after every three months – first quarter posting, second quarter posting, third quarter posting, and fourth quarter posting but up till now, none of the postings have been released. We are in the third quarter, but since this year, officers’ posting has come out more than four times, but soldier’s posting is no way.

“The way our generals are treating us is not fair at all. They don’t care about our welfare. All they care about is to make money, and that is why soldiers are going for retirement. As we speak, some soldiers are even running away without putting paper because of the suffering that is in other ranks. They don’t care about the welfare of the other rank, is only officers they care about. Just imagine officers’ posting have come out more than four times only this year, but our Infantry posting have not come out, which is part of Army Policy.

“Some of us soldiers have stayed in one barrack for more than eight years now, but a soldier is not supposed to stay in one barrack for more than four years. This is happening because of the corruption in the Army hierarchy, the authorities don’t care anymore.

“So we calling on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, to remove the Chief of Personnel Management and Infantry Corp Commander if they can’t do their work anymore.” 

The Nigerian Army, according to the platform, is yet to react to the petition by the aggrieved soldiers.