Ndume Defends Service Chiefs, Warns Against Demoralizing Soldiers

 

 

Ndume Defends Service Chiefs, Warns Against Demoralising Soldiers

 

Senator Ali Ndume has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against heeding calls for the removal of Nigeria’s Service Chiefs, arguing that such a move could weaken the morale of the Armed Forces amid the nation’s security challenges.

 

Ndume, who represents Borno South and previously chaired the Senate Committee on Army, said on Thursday that those pushing for the sack of military leaders were driven by “ulterior motives.”

 

His remarks followed demands by the Northern Ethnic Nationalities Forum for the immediate dismissal of the Service Chiefs, citing their alleged inability to tackle insurgency and banditry despite huge budgetary allocations.

 

Ndume, however, insisted that Nigeria’s security setbacks stem more from poor funding, inadequate logistics, and low troop welfare than from leadership failure. He emphasised that soldiers need better training, equipment, ammunition, and motivation rather than a change at the top.

 

“A private soldier earns about N100,000 monthly, while their daily allowance is only N5,000. That is demoralising. What they need most is support and encouragement, not criticism,” he said.

 

The senator, whose constituency has endured years of Boko Haram attacks, urged Nigerians to avoid statements that could discourage troops. He also praised Tinubu for ensuring religious and ethnic balance in recent military appointments, which he said corrected the imbalance of past administrations.