Original image, Reuters
- Writer, Isiyaku Muhammed
- Name the person who wrote the story, BBC News
“I can hardly take care of my family,” said a soldier with the rank of corporal in Nigeria while talking to BBC Hausa, explaining how the high cost of living affects the country’s soldiers.
Military work is a work that is considered to be more valuable than any other work, but despite its value, the Hausas often call it ‘desire from afar.”
This soldier named Ibrahim (not his real name) said that the way things have deteriorated, especially the way things have become expensive due to the country’s economy and the cost of living, the soldiers also need to take care of their lives as they protect the country.
“To be honest, in the current cost of living, this salary will not be enough for a person. At least this salary will not be enough for a person to support his family, not to mention that he will have to do other tasks related to the needs of life,” said the soldier with the rank of corporal who works in a state in the North West.
Regarding the salary he receives, the soldier said, “Now that I have the rank of corporal, that is, two ropes, I receive a salary of 59,500 naira. The salary of a corporal is between 59,300 naira and 60,000 naira,” said the soldier who has been working for more than 10 years now.
He added that a soldier gets more salary by getting more promotion, that is, more rope, where he said that a new soldier gets one rope after five years, and he gets a second rope after doing a job for five years, “man He will reach the rank of corporal after working for ten years,” he said.
He said that there is an allowance that is given to the soldiers who are in the field called Ration Cash Allowance or RCA in short, “it also depends on the weather of the month. If it is a 30-day month, 35,500 naira is paid, and if it is a 31-day month, 36,500 naira is paid.”
However, the soldier said that even though the allowances were ‘relieving the pain’, sometimes two or three were not paid, “then later the debt was paid for some months,” he said, and added that life for the one who is working in the military, especially the one who has family responsibilities, only has to be patient.
He is also a soldier who has no rope, he explained that the life of the military is slow.
“Because I don’t have a wife, only my parents and siblings. This is why I cheat on the food that is brought to us, because the truth is that we are being brought food. This is why I can save some money because I follow carefully. very much in managing life.
“I am in a special military operation, so I get an allowance. You see, the money I earn will not be combined with someone who works in the office at home,” he said.
Regarding how life is, he said, “You know how everyone plans their life, and not everyone gets what they want in life. We just use what we get. And it depends on the way we spend our money.” people, especially those who do not have the necessary services.
“But the truth is that anyone who wants to achieve something in life must be patient with some things.”
Salary will be increased – Defense Headquarters
Regarding the situation of the army’s salary, especially as some people think it is too low, the BBC contacted the spokesman of the Nigerian security headquarters, General Tukur Gusau, where he said that almost everyone in Nigeria knows the situation of the salary earners.
According to him, “The truth is, not only the military, almost anyone who has a salary can say that the cost of living has made his salary not meet his needs. What I can say is, I know that the government is efforts have seen an increase in the salaries of soldiers and other security personnel,” he said.
He added that Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa is trying to secure a higher salary.
But he said, “As you know, it is not the military agency that pays the salaries, where every federal government employee is paid, we are also paid by the office of the general. Therefore, we hope that our salaries will be increased. ” he said.
Regarding the RCA allowance, he said, “Actually, this statement is new to me, I don’t know. I know our president, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, is always trying to ensure that every soldier who is on the battlefield is get his rights as he deserves. But we will investigate, and if we confirm the problem, I assure you that we will take care that it will not happen again.”
