Ndume Urges Tinubu to Retain Service Chiefs, Warns Against Moves That Could Weaken Military Morale

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ignore calls for the dismissal of the Service Chiefs, cautioning that such action could demoralise the Armed Forces at a critical stage in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.

Ndume, who represents Borno South and is a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, made the appeal in a statement on Thursday. His reaction came in response to mounting pressure from the Northern Ethnic Nationalities Forum, which earlier in the week demanded the immediate removal of the military chiefs, alleging they lacked the capacity to curb insurgency and banditry despite huge defence budgets.

The Forum, led by Dominic Alancha, had insisted that the Service Chiefs be replaced with “fresh and innovative leaders” to deliver tangible results.

However, Ndume dismissed the call as misplaced, stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges stem more from poor funding, logistics gaps, and inadequate welfare than from leadership failure. He argued that those demanding the sack of the Service Chiefs were acting out of ulterior motives.

“All the Service Chiefs have the requisite training and field experience. What they need is proper Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation (TEAM),” he said.

The senator further criticised the poor remuneration of soldiers, noting that a private earns about N100,000 monthly, with a meagre N5,000 daily allowance. He urged Nigerians to avoid statements capable of dampening troop morale.

Ndume, whose state has been at the heart of Boko Haram insurgency, emphasised that equipping and motivating soldiers was more crucial than leadership changes. He also commended President Tinubu for ensuring ethno-religious balance in recent security appointments, unlike previous administrations.