•Major-General Markus Kangye
The Military High Command has dismissed the ruling of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria that nullified a rule in the armed forces of Nigeria, which mandates personnel to sever for a minimum of 15 years before resigning.
It specifically said since the law that established the military – the Armed Forces Act, is yet to be rewritten or repealed, any personnel that joins must abide by what is contained in the document, reports Weekend Trust.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, who stated this in reaction to the court ruling, said there were different categories of personnel in the force.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim of NIC, Abuja had delivered the ruling where he declared the rule as “unconstitutional and oppressive.”
The judge held that every employee, including members of the Nigerian armed forces have the constitutional right to resign at any time, adding that the force cannot force servicemen into “modern-day slavery in the name of national service”.
But reacting, Kangye, a Major-General, explained that the military will still and continue to go by what is contained in the Armed Forces Act unless the terms and conditions of service, Armed Forces of Nigeria is rewritten.
The senior military officer said, “The Armed Forces of Nigeria, the military, has a document which refers to us as conditions and terms of service. In that document, everything regarding the disengagement and otherwise of military personnel are spelled out.
“And also, there are different entry methods or categories into the military. For soldiers, they go to the… For officers, they go to, as regular cadets, regular combatant cadets, they go to the Nigerian Defence Academy.
“And we also have other ways through which officers can be commissioned, granted presidential commission. We call it short service. That is open to graduates. And we also have direct short service. That is open to professionals.
“When I mean professionals, we are talking of doctors, accountants, lawyers. They can go for direct short service. For short service, they go as combatant officers, but as graduates.
“Well, those who have finished secondary school go to the Nigerian Defence Academy as cadets. So there are different terms and conditions for the services of all these categories of officers and also soldiers.
“So, whichever condition catches up with you, you take it like that, you go. Unless the terms and conditions of service, Armed Forces of Nigeria is rewritten, we will still go by what is contained in that document. That is for that.”
