An army Sergeant who spoke with SaharaReporters alleged that army authorities had impoverished the personnel in the lower cadre with no increment in their salaries for years with some enduring about 12 years of stagnant pay.
Some of the Nigerian Army personnel have again lamented the delayed payment of their salaries and the non-increment of such for over 10 years that they have been in service.
An army Sergeant who spoke with SaharaReporters alleged that army authorities had impoverished the personnel in the lower cadre with no increment in their salaries for years with some enduring about 12 years of stagnant pay.
He affirmed that the least personnel in the army earns only around N50,000.
Other soldiers corroborated that their monthly salary was among lowest in the security personnel, stressing that to feed their families and relatives was now a challenge.
He said; "Honestly we the junior ranks in the Nigerian Army are dying in silence; for over 12 to 13 years; no salary increment, and we are seriously working without any benefit from our superior officers.
"Even our salary is always delayed without any reasons. No soldier has collected salary of September yet.
"Our monthly salary amongst the securities personnel; the army is the lowest for the junior one, honestly we need help.
"Things are not going well with us, our salary is not enough even to pay for school pees plus feeding your families and relative.
"I'm a Sergeant with 24 years In service and my salary is N81,500, while police constable receive N84,000 monthly as salary.”
"A Private soldier is entitled to N50,000 as salary monthly; even a warrant officer in the army gets N92,000 while their colleagues in the Nigerian civil defence collect N96,000 monthly as salary. Honestly I'm completely discouraged in the system,” another lamented.
A Nigerian soldier had in August expressed concerns over delay in the payment of army personnel July salaries.
The soldier in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari had accused his colleagues in the finance department of corruption and extortion.
Copied in the letter were the Vice President of Nigeria, Senate President, National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff.
The soldier added that “our families are hungry while (we) are in the bushes suffering just to protect our country.”
He had added, “We soldiers and families are suffering, all above addressees should hear our cry, we are sadden (sic) and unhappy with this frequent trends, we don’t have any business than this Amy job, because the Army acts prohibits, our families are hungry while are (sic) in the bushes suffering just to protect our country.
“The Nigerian Army should directs (sic) NAMP to investigates (sic) all NAFC personnel thoroughly because so many of them are feeding of (sic) soldiers entitlements and still fails to carry out the sole roles, leaving above the main income just like other suffering soldiers having Fat and big Tommy.
“This is the only Corps in Nigerian Army that ASA don’t charge when defaulted like other Corps of the Army, please COAS should do the needful because NAFC is not above the Army rather the Army is above them by directing NAMP to investigates (sic) them thoroughly. Thanks in anticipations (sic) for your prompt directives into this matters and given consideration. Please accept the assurance of all Nigerian Army Soldiers.”