Okechukwu says salary increase alone cannot guarantee victory for Armed Forces
A Foundation Member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving a substantial salary increase for members of the Armed Forces.
Okechukwu, who is the former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), gave the commendation in a statement issued on Sunday in Enugu while reacting to the recent Armed Forces salary review and expansion of Army divisions.
It would be recalled that recently President Tinubu approved salary increases of 80 per cent for Privates to Staff Sergeants.
The president also approved salary increases of 50 per cent for Warrant Officers to Colonels, and 30 per cent for Brigadiers to Generals, alongside creation of four additional army divisions.
Okechukwu, however, cautioned that improved remuneration alone cannot guarantee victory over insurgency, terrorism and banditry without corresponding investment in superior technologies that define modern warfare.
He said that Nigeria must avoid fighting 21st century wars with 20th century military orthodox doctrines.
According to him, like millions of Nigerians, I wholeheartedly applaud President Tinubu for improving the welfare of our gallant Armed Forces, who daily risk their lives in defence of our nation.
He said, “However, patriotism compels one to ask a fundamental question?
“How will our administration, in an era of lean fiscal resources and under budget implementation; sustain such a significant increase in recurrent expenditure while adequately funding critical sectors such as healthcare, education and infrastructure without triggering hyper-inflation?”
“Dear President, my candid concern in the midst of huge debt is the big elephant in the room.
“For a pay rise of almost 30 per cent across the board with little or no export product outside fluctuating oil price may trigger off hyper-inflation and monetary paralysis?”
He noted that it is clear to the President that police, other paramilitary agencies and the wider civil service would naturally demand aggressively for comparable salary adjustments, to face the same market.
Offering an alternative approach, Okechukwu called for 30 per cent budget addition to kitchen table welfare enablers to the greatest number of Nigerians among which are members of the Armed Forces and other public servants.
“More investment in comprehensive healthcare, quality educational opportunities and an affordable mortgage home schemes, will better spread joy, strengthen purchasing power, encourage productivity and employment.
“It is on record that 80 per cent of the Armed Forces have no mortgage homes,” he said.
On the expansion of the army, Okechukwu argued that military superiority in the 21st century is determined less by the size of an army than by the sophistication of its technology.
“Today’s battlefields are dominated by drones, satellite surveillance, electronic warfare, cyber operations, precision-guided weapons, artificial intelligence and real-time intelligence.
“Victory no longer belongs to the side with the largest number of boots on the ground, but to the side with superiority of AI-driven intelligence capabilities,” he said.