The soldier in a video footage making the rounds on social media lamented how he spent one year in the bush in Borno and was given a pass to visit his family but he could not go because while his salary is N50,000, he was told at the motor park that transport fare to his town is N35,000 - to and fro is N70,000.
A soldier stationed in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, expressed distress over his inability to visit his family due to the exorbitant transportation costs that exceed his salary.
The soldier in a video footage making the rounds on social media lamented how he spent one year in the bush in Borno and was given a pass to visit his family but he could not go because while his salary is N50,000, he was told at the motor park that transport fare to his town is N35,000 - to and fro is N70,000.
Speaking in pidgin language, the soldier who did not disclose his identity said, "See wahala oo, the Nigerian Army gave me a pass as I spent one year in Maiduguri today, they gave me a pass to go and see my family.
"As I left the bush, I reached the park and they (transporters) told me that from here to my town is N35,000. I calculated it and going and coming back is N70,000 and N50,000 is my salary that I was paid this month.
"I don't have any option again, I'm going back to the bush."
Recall that the Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, had said that Nigerian soldiers and military officers earn less than N50,000 as monthly salaries while Generals and soldiers on operations get N1,200 for feeding daily.
The CDS, made the disclosure during an interview where he said that Nigerian soldiers and military officers were doing well and therefore should be paid salaries that were worth the jobs to encourage them to do more.
