The recently retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and two other outgoing service chiefs are set to receive substantial post-service benefits, including bulletproof vehicles, security personnel, and annual medical allowances, under new regulations approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS) 2024, a classified document signed by the President, each of the retired officers will receive one bulletproof SUV and one Prado Jeep or equivalent vehicles as part of their retirement entitlements. The vehicles will be maintained by their respective services and replaced every four years.
The document, marked “Restricted” also grants the retirees an annual medical allowance of $20,000 for treatment in Nigeria or abroad.
Comprehensive Entitlements
Beyond vehicles and medical benefits, the HTACOS 2024 outlines an extensive welfare package. Each retired service chief is entitled to five domestic aides, two cooks, two stewards, and a gardener as well as a personal aide-de-camp or security officer, a personal assistant, three drivers, nine guards, and free medical cover. They are also permitted to retain their military uniforms for ceremonial purposes and personal firearms, which are to be retrieved upon their demise.
For Lieutenant Generals and equivalent ranks, the benefits include a Toyota Hilux and a Toyota Land Cruiser or similar vehicles, alongside $20,000 yearly medical coverage. Major Generals and Brigadier Generals are to receive one Toyota Land Cruiser or equivalent, with annual medical cover of $15,000, while one-star generals will receive a Toyota Camry and $10,000 annual medical coverage.
Tinubu Reshuffles Military Leadership
President Tinubu on Saturday announced sweeping changes in the Armed Forces’ hierarchy, replacing the service chiefs with a new team. The new Chief of Defence Staff is General Olufemi Oluyede, who succeeds General Musa. Major-General W. Shaibu takes over as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke becomes Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas assumes office as Chief of Naval Staff.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position. The shake-up saw the exit of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, both of whom now qualify for the newly approved retirement packages.
Mass Retirements Loom
The recent shuffle is expected to trigger a wave of voluntary and mandatory retirements among senior officers, particularly those who were contemporaries of the outgoing service chiefs. Military tradition dictates that officers cannot serve under juniors, meaning that dozens of generals from Courses 39 to 41 of the Nigerian Defence Academy will likely proceed on retirement.
This newspaper gathered that over 60 Generals are expected to retire. Furthermore, the Senate joint committees on Defence, Army, and Navy are expected to begin screening the new service chiefs this week.
