Men Of The Nigerian Army Narrate Story About The Current Hardships

                                        Soldiers on foot partol in Borno State
The soldiers of the Nigerian Army, who are deployed in the most dangerous part of the country, have spoken again on operational inefficiency and hardships of their deployment. They also emphasized the easiest way to increase the morale of the personnel was to solve the issue of unpaid allowances. 
In an interview with SaharaReporters the military men spoke about lack of troops to monitor and patrol such critical areas as Nigeria-Chad border and the notorious Sambisa Forest. The members of Boko Haram sect are especially active in these locations of Borno State.
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The soldiers further complained about the weaponry. First of all, in most cases they have to face heavily-armed Boko Haram fighters with just Kalashnikov (AK-47) rifles and some magazines only. Troops need support from the air, as well as on the ground, by battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers. In several missions it had never come, or come too late.
Speaking about personal protection such as helmets and bullet-proof vests, the soldiers revealed that in many cases they had been pierced, scattered by Boko Haram bullets. This can be an indication of poor quality of purchased materiel. In many cases the insurgents conducted successful operation in the night because they were carrying night vision equipment, which gave them superiority. Getting personal night vision goggles for a Nigerian soldier is a faraway dream.
Therefore, the speakers urged President Jonathan to investigate the procedures of defence procurement and to arrange more deliveries for troops on the battlefield in order to boost their firepower, viewing capabilities and personal protection.
The problem with delayed allowances still persists in some of the divisions. The delay in payments of soldiers’ standard N30,000 allowances reaches two months. Poor situation is reported at the 3rd Armored Division in Plateau State, which is currently stationed in Izge Damboa, Gworza, Borno State.
At the same time, the Ministy of Defence had started paying arrears in the Special Operations Battalion deployed in Mubi, Adamawa State.
It would be noted that tough conditions, irregular and poor meals, absence of various supplies, inadequate weaponry and unpaid allowances were one of the main reasons of mutiny at Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, on May 14, 2014. The General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General Abubakar Mohammed, had to flee and to resign.
The newly-appointed GOC, Brigadier General Mahmid Yakubu Ibrahim, has failed to get the situation under full control. Soldiers and officers did not give him a warm welcome because of his controversial decision to ban the use of motorcycles as means of transportation inside the military base.
READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/67278.html
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