‘We are now used to delay’ — soldiers lament unpaid July salaries

Some soldiers of the Nigerian Army have expressed concerns over the delay in the payment of their July salaries.

This is not the first time there have been reports on soldiers complaining over delay in the payment of their salaries.

In January, there were reports of soldiers being owed salaries, but the Nigerian Army had dismissed the claims.

Onyema Nwachukwu, army spokesperson, had said Faruk Yahaya, the army chief, ensures the prompt payment of salaries, allowances, and all statutory entitlements.

But in separate conversations with TheCable on Friday, some soldiers said they were yet to get their July pay.

Lamenting the delay, one of the soldiers, who said he was attached to operation Hadin Kai but preferred not to be named, said although some of his colleagues had been paid, he was yet to get his.

“I’ve not seen July salary, although some of my colleagues have seen theirs,” he said.

Another soldier posted to the north-west said he had not been paid, adding that it wasn’t the first time salaries would be delayed.

“We are now used to it. If you ask me, I can’t say this is when my salary comes in. Most of the time, it comes at the beginning of the following month. Like now, we are yet to get July pay and it’s August 5 already,” he said.

Meanwhile, Onyema Nwachukwu, army spokesperson, was not immediately available to comment.

But in a chat with TheCable in January, he had said the delay in salary payment “may be attributable to the inability of their banks to expeditiously credit their accounts”.