Ndume Hails Tinubu Over Military Salary Increase, restates call for first line charge

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the recent salary increases approved for about 250,000 personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

President Tinubu had last week approved salary increases ranging from 30 to 80 per cent for certain categories of military personnel, effective from next month.
Under the new arrangement, which will increase the annual salary bill for Armed Forces personnel 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 salary 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 increase.
Ndume, who was a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, described the salary review as a welcome development, noting that it would boost the morale of Armed Forces personnel.
He said the development, coming after the recent expansion of military divisions from eight to twelve, showed that President Tinubu had a blueprint aimed at tackling terrorism and banditry.
According to him, the salary review would go a long way in motivating military personnel, adding that he had consistently advocated better welfare and a decent living wage for officers and men of the Armed Forces.
Ndume said President Tinubu had again demonstrated that he was a responsive leader who listens to genuine and legitimate concerns raised by Nigerians.
The lawmaker also restated his call for adequate provision of arms, ammunition and other logistics required by the military.
He said that, aside from improved welfare and training, prompt supply of arms and ammunition remained critical to enabling the military to effectively deal with insurgents.
Ndume urged President Tinubu to sustain his commitment to providing the weapons and technological tools required by the Armed Forces to effectively discharge their duties.
He maintained that these could be achieved seamlessly if the military’s annual budget was placed on First Line Charge.
According to him, the current envelope budgeting system is trapped in unnecessary bureaucracy between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Finance, describing the situation as a major encumbrance to the effective operations of military personnel in the war theatre.
Ndume therefore urged President Tinubu to seize the initiative and ensure direct statutory transfers from the Federation Account to the military, as is done with some government agencies.