House of Representatives has disclosed that poor welfare caused the resignation of 365 soldiers against the claim by the Nigerian Army that it was a routine exercise.
In 2020, 365 Nigerian Army personnel resigned in a mass resignation, however, the Army through coordinator, Defence Media Operations (DMO), John Enenche claimed it was not the lack of “welfare or low morale” rather, due to routine exercise to avoid” choking of the system.”
The House on Tuesday, following the consideration of the report by the Committee on Army, revealed that it was due to “poor welfare.”
According to the recommendation of the Committee, the sole reason for the resignation was due to poor welfare.
The committee, therefore, urged the Army to improve the welfare package of servicemen/women, particularly those at the warfront against terrorism.
The Reps committee in its resolution asked the ”The Nigerian Army to improve on the welfare of its personnel, especially those in battlefields or other combat operations to further make soldiers more committed to their jobs and to the nation at large;
“That there should be effective monitoring or follow up in the delivery of the welfare packages in all the Army formations to ensure that they reach out to all the beneficiaries (the soldiers) fairly and equitably.
“That the Army should continuously embark on an orientation of soldiers, both old and new, about the reality of their jobs and the need to be committed to their country. This will reduce the number of soldiers leaving the Army due to loss of interest.”
The resolutions were adopted by the Committee of the Whole of the House.