Tinubu approves luxury packages for retired military officers
The former Chief of Defence Staff and two other service chiefs, recently retired by President Bola Tinubu, will each receive a bulletproof SUV and a Prado Jeep or an equivalent vehicle as part of their official retirement benefits.
According to the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) 2024 earlier signed by President Tinubu, the vehicles will be maintained by their respective services and replaced every four years.
The approved package also includes a yearly medical allowance of $20,000 for each retired officer, covering treatment within and outside the country.
The document, marked “Restricted,” spells out the full entitlements of top military officers upon retirement.
Each retired Chief of Defence Staff and service chief will have five domestic aides, a security officer, nine guards, three service drivers, a service orderly, and a personal assistant.
They will also retain their military uniforms and firearms for ceremonial use, with the weapons to be retrieved by the military after their death.
Under the same terms, Lieutenant-Generals are entitled to two official vehicles; a Toyota Hilux and a Toyota Land Cruiser or equivalent; alongside two cooks, two stewards, four residential guards, and an annual medical allowance of $20,000.
Major-Generals and Brigadier-Generals will receive one Toyota Land Cruiser or equivalent, domestic aides, guards, and annual medical coverage of up to $15,000, while one-star officers will get a Toyota Camry or equivalent and $10,000 medical cover.
President Tinubu had on Saturday removed the former service chiefs and appointed new ones to lead the Armed Forces.
The new Chief of Defence Staff is General Olufemi Oluyede, who succeeded General Christopher Musa. Others include Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye, remains in office.
The exit of the service chiefs is expected to trigger a chain of voluntary and mandatory retirements among senior officers, especially those from Nigerian Defence Academy Courses 39 to 41, as tradition dictates that no officer should serve under a junior.
Military sources say more than 60 generals could leave the service following the latest changes.
Meanwhile, the Senate’s joint committee on Defence, Army, and Navy is preparing to screen the newly appointed service chiefs.
The screening, expected to be held behind closed doors, will allow the nominees to outline their strategies for tackling insecurity across the country.
