Nigerian soldiers battling Boko Haram complain of low morale

Some Nigerian soldiers deployed to Yobe State as part of the
Joint Task Force to check insurgency have complained of
abandonment and accused the military authorities of
keeping them in the war front
beyond their approved stay.
Many of the soldiers had been deployed several months before
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency
in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States in May.
The soldiers said military authorities are keeping them in the
troubled state beyond the approved three months which is
causing "lack of motivation and low morale" among the
soldiers.
"Apart from the police that adhere to the rule of rotating troops
every three months, all military personnel in the Yobe JTF are
presently on their eighth months now, and yet no one is
talking about our rotation," said a soldier who has been in
Yobe since last year.
The soldier, like others, sought anonymity for fear of
victimization.
Another soldier linked the killing of some soldiers by the Boko
Haram to the low morale caused by the 'unexplained excessive
stay," in the state. He said the soldiers never expected that they
would serve beyond the approved three months.
Nigerian military authorities confirmed that some of the
soldiers had indeed stayed beyond the three months they were
meant to, but said the reasons were explained to the soldiers.
"Originally, the troops were meant to stay for three months,
that was the agreement that took them there," said Chris
Olukolade, the spokesman for the Defence Headquarters.
"Along the line, their stay had to be extended. And when it
was extended, it means that there has to be a new procedure
which will also make up for their needs while in that
mission."
"Besides the authority that extended their stay there has to
make the necessary political contact to formalize it, that is
what is going on and has been responsible for their overstay,"
he added.
Mr. Olukolade claimed the soldiers have been briefed about the
extension.
"This has also been explained to our soldiers, we don't expect
our soldiers not to understand this because their commander
has made this very clear them. If they now choose to affect
their morale then using the media to address issues that are
formal, then I don't think it is proper. And I don't think any
medium should be established for that purpose," he said.
The military spokesman said relevant authorities are "tidying
up the necessary political issues that would take care of their
(soldiers) extension and involves also the processing of
whatever entitlement is theirs.
"These soldiers are aware of these, as it has all been duly
explained to them by their commanders and cannot be
attributed to lapse or lack of care for soldiers."
Since the emergency declaration by the president, more troops
have been deployed by the Nigerian military to the three
affected states and the military said it has destroyed several
cells of the insurgents in the states.
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