Ndume to Tinubu: Ignore Sack Calls Against Service Chiefs …Urges Adequate Funding, Training for Armed Forces

Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard growing calls for the removal of his Service Chiefs.

Ndume, who previously chaired the Senate Committee on Army, made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday.

The Forum’s Convener, Dominic Alancha, in a statement on Tuesday, accused the Service Chiefs of lacking the professional competence to lead the fight against insurgency and banditry. He argued that despite substantial budgetary allocations, the military has failed to deliver results, insisting that the entire security structure needs a comprehensive overhaul.

“We angrily and unequivocally demand the immediate dismissal and replacement of all Service Chiefs. The President must appoint fresh and innovative military leaders with a clear mandate and timeline for results,” the Forum declared.

Reacting, Senator Ndume dismissed the call as misplaced, stressing that the priority should be adequate funding for arms procurement, improved welfare, and better motivation of troops.

According to him:
“Those pushing for the sack of the present Service Chiefs have ulterior motives and do not mean well for this administration and Nigerians.

“I want to restate my call for a proactive TEAM approach — Training, Equipment, Ammunitions, and Motivation. These combined factors are what can effectively counter terrorism, banditry, and insurgency.

“It is unfair and outlandish for any group to label the current Service Chiefs as professionally incompetent. They possess the necessary training and experience in theatre operations. What they require is sufficient ammunition and motivation.

“The salary of a private soldier in Nigeria is about N100,000 ($67) monthly, while their daily allowance of N5,000 is grossly inadequate. Such conditions are unconscionable and demoralising. People must refrain from making statements that could further dampen the morale of our soldiers on the battlefield.”

Ndume also commended the Tinubu administration for maintaining what he described as an ethno-religious balance in the composition of the nation’s current security leadership, contrasting it with the situation in the past.