The new breakdown of retirement benefits of Service Chiefs has shown that former Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, and other military chiefs will get eight flashy vehicles and security staff of over 40 soldiers as retirement benefits.
According to SaharaReporters, the new Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers (HTACOS 2017), which the current administration revised also reveals that the former military chiefs will get domestic and foreign medical cover, four Sport Utility Vehicles, four Peugeot cars, among other juicy retirement benefits.
The document also shows that the brand new SUVs to be given to Buratai; former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin; former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas; and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, will be replaced every four years at the military’s expense.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed the former chiefs on July 13, 2015, and retained them despite the call by Nigerians for their sack over their inability to curb the nation’s security crisis.
The country has been in the grip of the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East and banditry in the North-West, with the National Assembly, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and many notable Nigerians calling for the replacement of the service chiefs.
Following the revision of the previous 2012 conditions and its replacement with the 2017 HTACOS, the service chiefs will now get more juicy retirement benefits.
Section 11 of HTACOS 2017 explains how the military will bear the heavy cost of the many exorbitant retirement benefits lined up for the retired service chiefs.
The document partly reads, “Retirement benefits for CDS and service chiefs; the following benefits shall be applicable; one bullet-proof SUV or equivalent vehicle to be maintained by the Service and to be replaced every four years. Two; Peugeot 508 or equivalent backup vehicle; three, retention of all military uniform and accoutrement to be worn for appropriate ceremonies.
“Also, five domestic aides (two service cooks, two stewards and a civilian gardener); an Aide-de-Camp/Security Officer; a Special Assistant of Lieutenant or Captain or equivalents or Personal Assistant; also, a Standard Guard of nine soldiers.
“Three service drivers; one service orderly; escorts (to be provided by appropriate military units/ formation as the need arises; retention of personal firearms (on his demise the personal firearm(s) shall be retrieved by the relevant Service and also; a free medical cover in Nigeria and abroad.”
From the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers, soldiers, airmen and ratings 2012, the military made provision for only Peugeot cars, and some other benefits, but it did not include the bullet-proof SUVs, the standard guard of nine soldiers and the free medical cover in and outside Nigeria.
