Soldiers angry over unpaid allowances, poor welfare conditions

Soldiers drafted to provide security at the Karu community and its environs in the Abuja Metropolitan Area Council have expressed their anger and sadness over the six months backlog of unpaid allowances owed them by the military authorities.
Some of the soldiers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, regretted poor welfare conditions being meted out to them by the military authorities.
It was reliably gathered from the aggrieved soldiers, who pleaded anonymity, that their operational allowances were last paid in October 2015.
They lamented that the untold hardship and unfavourable working conditions they have been subjected to in spite of their unquantifiable sacrifices in the protection of lives and property in the area.
The soldiers called “Quick Reaction Force” has their base at the National Primary Healthcare Centre, Old Karu.
One of the soldiers, said apart from the six months of their operational allowances owed, that their salaries are often delayed for no justifiable reasons.Because of the non-payment of our operational allowances, recently, a group of soldiers deployed to Bauchi State during Nigeria Army Day Celebration refused to go there.
“Rather they stormed the Army Headquarters Garrison in protest. In response, a senior military officer was dispatched to calm the frayed nerves.
“He came and promised us that all our allowances would be paid soon. Up till now, nothing has been done. They have been dribbling us.
“We are about 140 personnel posted to this area. The military authorities do not provide enough food for us. They would provide meagre food meant for 30 persons for 140 personnel.
“We are really suffering, That is why some soldiers would indulge in some illegal activities to eke out a living in this place.
“Many of us are demoralised. We sleep on the bare floor. The accommodation provided is not conducive.
“We call on the government to do something urgent about this deplorable and de-humanising conditions we have been made to bear.”
Efforts to speak with the Commanding Officer of Army Headquarters Garrison, Major General Malu, were not successful as he could not be reached on the phone as of the press timeAccording to him, “Each month we receive our salaries a week into the new month. Our senior officers at the Command Headquarters at Army Headquarters Garrison popularly called Abacha Barracks would withhold the money instead of paying it to us.