Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has called on the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, and other Service Chiefs to make the welfare and motivation of personnel a top priority in their reform agenda for the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District and former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said improved remuneration and welfare were central to building a motivated, professional, and combat-ready military capable of defeating insurgency, banditry, and other security threats.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday, Ndume urged them to work with the presidency and the National Assembly to ensure the Armed Forces’ budget was given priority status in the national appropriation.

Ndume said: “The annual budget of the Armed Forces and other security agencies should be on First Line Charge. It shouldn’t be discretionary. They should be front-loaded to ensure predictable funding for operations, logistics, and welfare.”

The Senator emphasised that the morale of troops in the field was being undermined by poor pay and welfare, which fall short of regional standards.

He noted that the current remuneration for Nigerian soldiers remained far below that of their counterparts in neighbouring African countries despite the heavier operational demands they face.

He warned that the continued neglect of welfare and motivation could have far-reaching consequences on morale, recruitment, and retention, especially among soldiers engaged in high-risk theatres such as the North-East and North-West.

The senator proposed what he described as the “TEAM” framework for strengthening the military, built on four pillars, that is Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation, saying they were essential for operational readiness and sustained national security.

“If we want our armed forces to remain formidable, we must invest consistently in training, modern equipment, adequate ammunition, and, most importantly, motivation,” he stressed.

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