approval of the Review of the Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure
(CONAFSS) in July 2010 has generated a cold war among the top-rank officers,
LEADERSHIP Sunday has learnt.
The salary structure , which shows a wide disparity between one rank and
another in the military top brass, was a baby of the National Salaries, Incomes
and Wages Commission.
It was contained in a circular issued on July 1, 2010, entitled “Review of the
Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS)” and addressed to the
chief of staff to the president, principal secretary to the vice president,
minister of defence, minister of finance, secretary to the government of the
federation (SSG), head of the civil service of the federation (HoSGF), chief of
defence staff, auditor -general for the federation, accountant-general of the
federation and the director-general, Budget Office.
It reads in part, “The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved the upward review of the Consolidated
Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS). A table of the revised salary
structure is attached herewith and comes into effect on July 1, 2010.”
Although the president reportedly approved the salary increase “granted on the
condition that there shall be a noticeable improvement in the productivity of
the military in line with the expectation, it has generated an “unreported
heat” in the military.
A retired air commodore, who sought anonymity, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the
commission did not do its home work well before arriving at the salary
structure and urged President Jonathan to revisit the matter before it dampens
the spirit of the affected military chiefs.
“How the commission arrived at the disparity, especially from the rank of
colonel/group captain/navy captain and above, is what I do not know and nobody
has been able to provide an answer. For example, the salary of a lt-col/wing
commander/navy commander per annum is N3,380,086 while that of the next rank,
colonel/group captain/navy captain is N3,715,859 per annum.
brig-gen/air commodore/navy commodore receives a whooping sum of N7,385,856 per
annum, then followed by major general/air vice marshal/rear admiral who gets
N12,038,945. Can you see the gap? But it may interest you to know that the next
rank, lt-gen/air marshal/vice admiral receives N13,363,229 a year.
receives N281,673.83 as salary per month, a colonel earns N309,654.917, a
brig-gen gets N615,488.00, major general gets N1 million-plus while the lt-gen.
gets N1.113 million and a general , that is the CDS, gets N1.358 million. The
main problem has to do with the gap between a colonel and a brigadier-general
and that of the major general. You will see that until you get to the brigadier
general the gap is not wide and the moment you get to the salary of the major
general and that of the lt-general, the gap is closed
again.”
become “a major general or its equivalent because that is where your monthly
salary of N1 million-plus continues till you die”.
“It is like a permanent secretary in the civil service who enjoys the same
privilege till he/she dies. Those who do not know this gap would merely collect
their five years’ salaries as pension and that is all. What type of shoddy
arrangement is that?” he asked.
On the way out, the retired military officer appealed to President Jonathan to
order the wages commission to revisit the salary structure of the military or
face the consequence because a time is coming when those who are silent would
explode and that would not speak well of the military.
“President Jonathan who approved the CONAFSS should mandate the same commission
to revisit the issue as soon as possible before people explode their bottled
anger. As of today, the CONAFSS has turned our military into another ‘Animal
Farm’ where some are more equal than the others,” he said.
Structure Of Top Military Officers
Lt-Col/Wing Commander/Navy Commander N3,380,086 p.a.
Colonel/Group Captain/Navy Captain N3,715,859 p.a.
Brigadier Gen/Air Commodore/Navy Commodore N7,385,856 p.a.
Maj-Gen/Air Vice Marshal/Rear Admiral N12,038,945 p.a.
Lt-Gen/Air Marshal/Vice Admiral receives N13,363,229.00 p.a.
Generals N16,303,140.00 p.a.
