Revised condition of service to enhance efficiency – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters has said the draft Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for military officers is aimed at enhancing efficiency and the general welfare of the members of the armed forces.

The Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja in response to an online report (Not The PUNCH) claiming that the HTACOS for military officers was causing tension in the services.

The report suggested that many officers were planning to leave the service due to unfavourable terms contained in the draft document.

However, Gusau said the draft document also focused on the effective discharge of the constitutional mandate of the military, considering its current engagement in addressing multiple security challenges across the nation and beyond.

He stated that it would be counterproductive to target or retard the growth or progression of any category of officers in the armed forces, as suggested by the report.

The statement read, “For the avoidance of doubt, the current HTACOS was signed by then President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 and is to be reviewed every five years.

“The current leadership of the armed forces 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.

“As it stands, the draft is actually intended to be refined further by inputs from stakeholders.

“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 military.”