Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, expressed concerns about the inadequate equipment, motivation, and empowerment of soldiers and members of the Armed Forces engaged in the battle against insurgency.
In a telephone conversation with journalists on Monday, Senator Ndume emphasized that the current salaries and allowances provided to the troops are insufficient to inspire them to combat the ongoing war effectively.
Pointing out that President Tinubu has explicitly conveyed his intolerance for failure to the heads of security agencies, Ndume called for a reevaluation of the welfare of both officers and soldiers involved in the fight against insecurity, particularly in the Northeast region.
“President Tinubu has made it clear that he won’t accept excuses from heads of security agencies, and I agree. We need to win this war. However, we need to do more. The soldiers and other Armed Forces members protecting the country lack proper motivation,” Ndume stated.
The senator urged the President to take additional measures, including equipping and motivating the forces and revisiting their salaries and allowances. He believes that addressing these issues will significantly impact the war’s outcome in favour of the government.
“I’m urging the President to do more and revisit these issues, equip them, motivate them, and revisit their salaries and allowances. These measures will go a long way in changing the tide of the war in favour of the government,” he added.