The House of Representatives has confirmed the voluntary resignation of about 386 soldiers from the Nigerian Army, all of which took place in the seco
The House of Representatives has confirmed the voluntary resignation of about 386 soldiers from the Nigerian Army, all of which took place in the second quarter of 2020.
According to the House Committee on Army, the soldiers had cited medical concerns, loss of interest, as well as other issues as reasons for their resignation.
Abdulrazaq Namdas, Chairman of the committee revealed this while presenting a report to the House on Tuesday, March 2.
According to Namdazs, 356 soldiers left the army after losing interest, 24 left to take up traditional titles; while six were discharged on medical grounds.
He added that records also indicated that 6,752 soldiers were discharged from the service in the last five years; while 25,655 soldiers had got enlisted within the same period.
Documents, according to Namdaz, showed that all the voluntarily discharged soldiers were Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO), ranging from Master Warrant Officer (MWO) to private (PTE).
The lawmaker said;
“Those soldiers did not realize that engagement in the Army is more than a job; it entails personal commitment, regardless of the welfare package.
“The documents show that all the voluntarily discharged soldiers were Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO), ranging from Master Warrant Officer (MWO) to private (PTE).
“Based on the facts available to the committee, there was no mass resignation from the army. Individual soldiers resigned on their own from their units.
“The army also told the committee that many officers also voluntarily resigned because they simply lost interest in the profession and wanted to take up or look for another job.
“Others voluntarily discharged from the service to take up traditional titles. There are also a few who voluntarily resigned for health reasons.
“Soldiers do not resign in groups, rather each soldier resigns on his/her own choice as an individual by submitting his/her own hand-written resignation letter to his/her own unit.
“It has become a routine that every year officers resign voluntarily, and so the case of the resignations in the second quarter of 2020 is not unusual.”
In conclusion, the committee recommended that the Nigerian Army improve on the welfare of its men especially for those in battle fields or other combat operations, to make them more committed to their job.
