ABUJA — Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu to ignore mounting calls for the removal of Nigeria’s Service Chiefs, insisting they possess the requisite training and experience to tackle insecurity.
Rather than bowing to pressure, Ndume recommended what he described as a proactive “TEAM approach” — Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation — to enable the Armed Forces effectively combat terrorism, banditry, and insurgency.
The call for the Service Chiefs’ sack was recently made by the Dominic Alancha-led Northern Ethnic National Forum, which accused them of incompetence despite increased funding. But Ndume dismissed the group’s claims as baseless and driven by “ulterior motives.”
“It is uncharitable for any group to accuse the Service Chiefs of professional incompetence. All of them have the requisite training and experience in theatre operations. What they need is adequate ammunition and motivation,” Ndume said in a statement issued Thursday in Abuja.
The lawmaker, who also raised concerns over soldiers’ welfare, noted that a private earns about ₦100,000 monthly salary and ₦5,000 daily allowance, which he described as “inadequate and unconscionable.” He stressed that government must prioritize soldiers’ welfare to boost morale on the battlefield.
“People should refrain from making statements that could dampen the morale of our soldiers and officers in the field,” he warned.
Ndume further commended President Tinubu for ensuring ethno-religious balance in the composition of the current security leadership, a departure from what he described as the lopsided arrangements of the immediate past administration.
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