The Vanguard, on Thursday, September 11, 2025, reported that former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu to ignore demands for the dismissal of Nigeria’s Service Chiefs. He argued that the current military heads possess the necessary expertise and background to manage the country’s security challenges.
Rather than replacing them, Ndume proposed what he termed a “TEAM strategy”—representing Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation—stressing that this model would strengthen the military’s ability to tackle terrorism, armed banditry, and insurgent attacks.
Calls for the Service Chiefs’ removal had been initiated by the Northern Ethnic National Forum, led by Dominic Alancha, which accused them of inefficiency despite huge government investment in the sector. Ndume, however, rejected these allegations, describing them as baseless and politically driven.
Expressing concern about the wellbeing of soldiers, Ndume observed that a private officer currently earns around ₦100,000 monthly and a daily stipend of ₦5,000—figures he considered grossly inadequate. He appealed to the federal government to improve soldiers’ pay and general welfare, warning that the existing compensation discourages morale.
In his official statement released in Abuja on Thursday, Ndume remarked: “Those clamoring for the dismissal of the present Service Chiefs are acting with hidden intentions that do not favor this administration or Nigerians at large. I again emphasize the need for the TEAM strategy—Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation—as this framework is crucial in defeating insurgency, terrorism, and banditry.
“It is uncharitable for any group to accuse the Service Chiefs of professional incompetence. All of them have the requisite training and experience in theatre operations. What they need is adequate ammunition and motivation. The salary of a private soldier in Nigeria is about N100,000 per month, and the daily allowance of N5,000 is unconscionable. People should refrain from making statements that could dampen the morale of our soldiers and officers in the field.”
Ndume further applauded President Tinubu’s government for ensuring religious and ethnic inclusivity in the selection of the current security leadership, contrasting it with the approach of the last administration.
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