Payment of N18.4 billion outstanding benefits of deceased personnel to begin soon - COAS

Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has announced that the disbursement of the overdue N18.4 billion Group Life Assurance claims for the families of deceased Nigerian Army personnel will commence soon.

Lagbaja shared this information at the conclusion of the Second Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) 2023 Convention held on Thursday in Ibadan.

The convention which started on Monday had as its theme “Leveraging Sound Administration for Highly Motivated Force and Operational Efficiency in the Nigerian Army”.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) mentioned that President Bola Tinubu approved the funds’ payment, and the National Assembly has allocated resources for it.

”The money will soon be paid to the families of the departed personnel, who died in the line of duty,” he said.

Other Intervention Programs for military personnel

Speaking further, Lagbaja noted that the Nigerian Army had made several interventions for the benefit of its personnel and members of their families.

According to him, access to such benefits will serve as an incentive to raise the morale of the Nigerian troops and enable them to perform their duties more judiciously.

”This is in the force’s health facilities, such as the construction and renovation of hospitals in Lagos and Kaduna, as well as education facilities and construction of befitting houses, among others.

“These are other several welfare efforts, and this is because my focus is to keep the morale of our troops high as they discharge their constitutional duties,” he added.

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Earlier, the Nigerian Army’s Chief of Administration, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, said the training no doubt has enhanced the capacity of RSMs.

”This will help them to be able to discharge their role effectively as the interface between the officers and soldiers,” he said.
Akpor assured the COAS that he (Lagbaja) would begin to witness the positive effect of the training as soon as the participants returned to their various formations and units.