Nigeria MPs to investigate purported mass resignation in the Army

Nigeria members of parliament have resolved to investigate the purported voluntary resignation of 365 military officers from the Nigeria army.

The decision to probe the resignation followed the adoption of a motion of matters of urgent public importance moved on Tuesday by the Chief Whip of the House, Muhammed Monguno and 3 others .
According to Monguno, the soldiers tendered their resignation due to alleged embezzlement of allowances and inferior military hardwares.

Monguno in his motion linked the recent exposé by Lance Corporal Martins Idakpein to the mass resignation.

“On the 22nd of June 2020, a lance corporal in the Nigerian Army, Martins Idakpein made an online video where he condemned the attitude of the Service Chiefs towards the attacks and killing of Nigerians and soldiers as well as untold hardship soldiers face while conducting combat operations, ” Monguno said.

If you recall, 356 soldiers fighting the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East recently wrote the country’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, seeking voluntary retirement over “loss of interest”.

The soldiers in a letter with reference number NA/COAS/001, quoting the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service soldiers/rating/airmen (Revised) 2017, asked for approval to leave the Nigeria Army due to low morale.

House Probes Resignation of 365 Soldiers https://t.co/4ZyV2YyWJC via Nigerialawyers

— The Nigeria Lawyers (Nigerialawyers) July 15, 2020

Some said this is further compounded by poor welfare for them and their families by the army.