The Nigerian Army has withdrawn its personnel studying in various military schools across the country, SaharaReporters has gathered.
SaharaReporters said that soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army who wish to further their study are usually allowed to do so.
Those affected are currently studying in the Nigerian Army School of Medical Sciences, Ojo; the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration, Apapa, Nigerian Army College of Education, Ilorin and Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology, Makurdi.
According to a leaked memo dated July 5, students in the final year in the affected institutions were also affected.
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In the memo, the soldiers numbering about 165 were told to return to their respective units as their courses of study were not approved for their respective corps by the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Department of Army Training policy of 2023.
This is happening as the army continues to suffer heavy casualties in its counter-insurgency operations that have seen hundreds of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists also neutralised by gallant Nigerian troops.
Imagine the action of the new Chief of Staff (Major General Taoreed Lagbaja), the affected soldiers have been studying these courses before this useless policy was introduced or reviewed,” one of the affected soldiers told SaharaReporters.
Kicking against the new policy, another officer said, “Some soldiers of the Nigerian Army recently received this heartbreaking news of their withdrawal from different military institutions. We were told to return to our respective units.
“We preach dynamism and diversity in the army; yet we don’t practise it. The fact that I’m of the Infantry Corps or the Armoured Corps should not be a reason for me as a personnel not to seek further knowledge in other fields of study in the army. Having applied through the appropriate senior authorities to study a course in the Nigerian Army Medical School or Nigerian Army School of Finance and got the approval to proceed to study because I passed and met with the required criteria needed for me to be admitted.
“This was passed through the Army Headquarters for final approval and it was approved, then you wake up to the news that you are to be withdrawn from school because of a certain policy. Such policies end up creating a lasting gap within the military in terms of personnel development. I can’t place a justification on the decision.
“Implementation of such policies should be for new applicants and not those who are either in their final year or halfway through their courses, what do you tell a student who has spent 3 or 4 years and with just a year left to finish up that he will be withdrawn, after investing time, energy, money only for his or her dream to be shattered overnight, now what do you think will happen to such soldier mentally and physically? I am not sure the soldier will be able to get it together again.
“The education being sought is even within the confines of the Army and not civil institutions, such policies shouldn’t be applicable to military institutions as this is the only way the other ranks and files of the Army get to equip themselves knowledge wise.”
“It is often said that when you join the Nigerian Army, you will have a fulfilled life and yet we keep truncating such quest for knowledge, and we keep complaining that the Army is lacking specialist to fill up certain positions, we have soldiers who are struggling and studying to cover up the gaps by seeking knowledge within the military schools and we want to deny them the opportunity to be useful to the Army,” another aggrieved soldier added.
“We are appealing to the Chief of Staff to help look into the withdrawal of these 165 soldiers and probably use his good office to assist them in finishing their studies; the swift action can help prevent waste of resources already spent by these soldiers, also to avert mass Exodus from the army because of this new development.”