According to a memo dated October 12, 2022 and signed by Lieutenant Colonel KI Ugwuanyi, Yahaya charged the “beneficiaries to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their responsibilities.”
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen General Farouk Yahaya has reportedly approved the promotion of 319 soldiers to the next ranks.
According to a memo dated October 12, 2022 and signed by Lieutenant Colonel KI Ugwuanyi, Yahaya charged the “beneficiaries to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their responsibilities.”
“The COAS has graciously approved and authorized the release of the 2022 promotion soldiers (Sigm - WO). The list of NAS personnel who benefited from the promotion with effect from 1 Sept 22 is as contained at Annex A. Consequently, I’m directed to respectfully request commanders at all levels to decorate the affected soldiers and publish the occurrence quoting Reference A as authority,” the memo read in part.
SaharaReporters had reported how some soldiers drawn from various formations of the army across the country lamented injustice in the last promotion exercise.
“Thanks SaharaReporters, the army authorities have listened to some of our demands. Some of us were promoted but we still want the Chief of Army Staff to investigate very well and make sure all those who deserve promotion to the next ranks are promoted,” one of the aggrieved soldiers said on Thursday.
The aggrieved soldiers, all junior cadres who are mostly fighting against terrorists and insurgents who spoke to SaharaReporters on Monday had alleged that instead of following due process, the promotion was lopsided and based on tribal, religious and monetary sentiments, which they termed as “cash and carry”.
They added that the names of some soldiers appeared twice in the promotion list, most especially those promoted from Lance Corporal to Corporal.
“I’m a soldier, the Nigeria Army promotion is out now but a lot of us that are due for the promotion did not get it,” one of the aggrieved soldiers had told SaharaReporters.
“Imagine, if there are 50 soldiers that are due for promotion in a unit, they would pick only 25 or 30, at end, instead of being in a rank for 4 or 5 years, you will be there 7 or 8 years before you can be promoted, but it’s not like that in the Navy and Air Force.
“Over there, if you are due for promotion, all of you will be promoted unless you have a disciplinary action against you and all your course mate will be promoted.
“Please help us, no promotion, no money, no peace of mind, all in the Army. The Nigeria Army is one of the problems of this country.”
Another soldier deployed to Operation Hadarin-Daji in Katsina and Zamfara states also lamented the failure of the Army authorities to rotate them to other areas over their refusal to give bribes.
“Before we were deployed to fight terrorists, we were told that we would spend three months but we have been here for two years without rotation. We didn't complain for the past promotion that was just released, they didn't promote us while our colleagues in the barracks and our juniors were all promoted just because they paid money,” he said.
“Why I’m confused is because I don't know if the Nigerian Army is one man's business or a national army. We have been in this operation for roughly two years, no kit. We're still buying uniforms to serve this so-called Nigeria, we have complained so many times but the President refused to intervene.
“Our Generals only care for themselves; when it comes to promotion, they will promote our colleagues and juniors in the barracks enjoying with their families but we in the frontline, fighting terrorists are promoted.
“They're busy feeding on our treasury. If any soldier ever stands to correct their wrongdoings, they will handcuff the soldier and charge him for mutiny.
“Honestly, many soldiers have written to be given voluntary discharge but they (the authorities) refused to allow them to go and face the reality of life because the Army of a country that is supposed to be national is now someone's business. They decide whatever they want to do to the junior soldiers.
“Normally, the operational allowance is N75,000 but they will deduct N30,000 for our feeding. In a location of about 40 soldiers, multiply that by 40, you will get a million and two hundred thousand naira. But lo and behold, the amount of money they would be spend on feeding us would not be up to N200,000. That’s why you see the senior officers lobbying to be posted as commanders of those in the frontline.
“Most of us are looking for opportunities to make it and leave this job. The question is what is our offence that we are not promoted? Does it mean that they don't have our details?”
One of the aggrieved soldiers had written to the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor and Chief of Army Staff, Yahaya.
According to him, he and many of his colleagues were denied the right to be promoted while those promoted were not qualified.