Prioritise Troops’ Payment To Sustain Morale, Army Chief Tells Finance Corps

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The Nigerian Army Finance Corps has been urged to ensure that all troops in operations get their allowances promptly to sustain the morale of fighting troops in the northeast.

The Chief of Army Staff made the request at the annual training programme held to enhance the performance of Nigerian Army Finance Corps in the senior non-commission and warrant officers cadre.

It focused on capacity development and update of personnel on the application of recent Federal Government public sector financial policies and reforms.

The policies and reforms were designed to significantly change old ways of doing things and move to a much effective and efficient methodology of financial management.

In the training held at the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment of the three armoured division, were Nigerian Army Finance Corps senior non-commission and warrant officers from different military formations.

It had the theme, “towards achieving prudent utilisation of finance resources for a professionally responsive Nigerian Army”.

The training was declared open by a representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Rogers Nicholas, and organiser are looking to enhance the finance corps in effective delivery financial services.

Lectures also covered Nigerian Army financial transactions and resource management, best accounting practices and financial reporting in a professionally responsive Nigerian Army as well as ethics and financial performance in accounting practices in the Nigerian Army.

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists killed in military operations

Troops have continued to carry out counter-terrorism operations in the northeast, decimating Boko Haram terrorists.

Operations have heightened early last year few weeks before the general elections that brought in the All Progressives Congress into power.

While the operations are ongoing, four officers and 16 other ranks of the Nigerian Army are facing Court Martial over offences committed in the theatre of the Operation Lafiya Dole, ranging from theft and sales of ammunition to murder in the course of operations.

Critics have said that poor welfare had contributed to the military officials actions, a situation that the Army Chief wants corrected with priority given to the payment of officials.

Over two million residents have been displaced from the homes in the region and a United nation’s agency, UNICEF, has raised concerns over increasing malnutrition in the region.

A large number of children are at risk of death in the northeast that has seen over six years of insurgency

It said 49,000 children, pregnant women and nursing mothers were at risk of death if aid do not get to them before the end of 2016.

UNICEF said they needed not just food but more nutritious foods that will aid recovery  of children it said had ‘skin over bones’.

In latest counter-terrorism operation on September 28, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on patrol in Borno State engaged some suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist group in a gun battle in Bulabulin, killing nine of them.

A statement by a spokesman for the army, Colonel Sani Usman, said the attack occurred on Wednesday morning.

“They engaged them in a fire fight that lasted for an hour.

“The troops killed nine Boko Haram terrorists and wounded several others,” the statement read.

Colonel Usman further stated that the troops captured two AK-47 Rifles, two Hand Grenades, one Improvised Explosive Device, five Jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit and nine motorcycles.