NIGERIA: Tinubu Approves Lavish Retirement Benefits for Service Chiefs, Generals

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The President Bola Tinubu has approved a new retirement package for military service chiefs and senior officers, which includes bulletproof SUVs, luxury vehicles, domestic staff, and annual foreign medical allowances.

The package, outlined in the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers and Enlisted Personnel in the Nigerian Armed Forces, signed on December 14, 2024, has sparked reactions from the Nigerian Medical Association, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.

According to the document, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and other service chiefs are entitled to a bulletproof SUV or its equivalent, which will be replaced every four years and maintained by the military.

They will also receive a Peugeot 508 or equivalent backup vehicle, five domestic aides, international medical coverage, personal security officers, and service drivers.

For lieutenant generals and their equivalents, are entitled to two Toyota Hilux vehicles or one Toyota Land Cruiser, along with $20,000 annual medical treatment, two cooks, two stewards, four residential guards and two drivers.

The document stated, “Lieutenant generals and equivalents will receive two Toyota Hilux vehicles or one Toyota Land Cruiser, along with $20,000 annual medical treatment, two cooks, two stewards, four residential guards, and two drivers.

“Retirement benefits for lieutenant general/equivalents. The following benefits shall be applicable: Officers of three-star rank. Two Toyota Hilux Vehicles or one Toyota Land cruiser or equivalent jeep of the same value; two Cooks; two Stewards; four residential guards; one service orderly; two service drivers and free medicals in Nigeria and abroad to the tune of $20,000 per year.”

However, the announcement has raised concerns from health sector leaders. Professor Bala Audu, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, noted that government officials should receive benefits within Nigeria to strengthen the local healthcare system. He criticized the provision for foreign treatment as a sign of the government’s lack of confidence in domestic healthcare services.

“If they want to give them government-benefited medical treatment, cooks, or whatever, I think they should give them all their benefits in Nigeria, that is what I believe.’’

“Whoever wants to receive benefits, whether service chiefs or Mr. President, it should be in Nigeria, and not abroad,’’ Prof Bala insisted.

Supporting this view, Professor Muhammad Muhammad, President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, also stressed that Nigerian doctors often treat patients abroad, and investing in local medical infrastructure would reduce the need for medical tourism.

“My main concern is not what they are giving, but the fact that it is made official that the medical treatment has to be abroad. When, in fact, in most situations, when they go out, it’s Nigerian doctors that they are going to meet. So, in that situation, we need to make sure they are taking good care of the Nigerian healthcare providers,’’ he said.

He added that the policy reveals misplaced priorities at a time when the nation’s healthcare sector requires urgent reform.

Dr. Tope Osundara, President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, described medical tourism as detrimental to the local health system. He called for increased investment in modern medical equipment and hospital upgrades to improve healthcare delivery within Nigeria.

She said: “The treatment they go abroad to get can be gotten here in Nigeria. Besides, what is stopping the government from providing state-of-the-art equipment in our hospitals or upgrading the hospitals?

“It’s not like we don’t have Nigerian doctors who can do some of the things they travel abroad to do, but unfortunately, rather than prioritise our health system, equip the hospitals and make it efficient, we would rather spend the money elsewhere, thereby improving their economy.

“We should rather pump money into our health system, and this money will find a way to circulate. By the time you are pumping money into it, and people are taking advantage, it will give a return on investment. But it seems that the focus of the government is elsewhere rather than majoring on what is essential in Nigeria. ” She emphasized.

Civil society organizations also condemned the retirement perks. Friday Odeh, Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, described the benefits as “extravagant” amid widespread economic hardship. He questioned whether service chiefs deserved such rewards, citing persistent security challenges and allegations of corruption in military spending.

Similarly, Okechukwu Nwaguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law Advocacy and Accountability Centre, criticized the policy for widening the gap between government officials and ordinary citizens. He urged the government to prioritize the welfare of the populace over elite privileges.