By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Defence Headquarters on Monday said a recent report that Officers who enlisted into the Armed Forces after university education face a looming mass exodus following the proposed Revised Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service HTACOs 2024 awaiting presidential was done relying on hearsay and lacking depth.
The report in a National newspaper said the military authorities are contemplating a policy change that would increase the duration required for promotion for Direct Short Service (DSS) officers who join as professionals while leaving the promotion timeline unchanged for regular service officers commissioned through the Nigerian Defence Academy.
The report said if the policy change is approved by the president, it will frustrate DSS officers out of service with long stays on ranks.
The Defence Headquarters in reaction to said the current HTACOS was signed by the then President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 and is to be reviewed every five years.
The DHQ reaction signed by Director Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau said the current leadership of the AFN has kick started the process of reviewing the 2017 HTACOS which is long overdue.
“The committee of officers involved in the review comprises members from the 3 services and across different professions in the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN). As it stands, the draft is actually intended to be refined further by inputs from stakeholders.
“Pertinently, the document is aimed at enhancing efficiency and the general welfare of the members of the AFN and also focuses the effective discharge of AFN constitutional mandate especially in this period the AFN is engaged in addressing multiple security challenges across the nation and even beyond the shores of Nigeria. Consequently, it would be counterproductive to target or retard the growth or progression of any category of officers in the Armed Forces of Nigeria as suggested by the media reports.
“Apparently, the publication clearly shows lack of in-depth research as it could have consult appropriate authorities instead relied on hearsay. The DHQ seizes this opportunity to call on all Nigerians, particularly members of the Armed Forces, to disregard such publications and revert to the proper channels of communication as laid down by the AFN.”
