The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, says the Federal Government has increased soldiers’ salary from N49,000 to a minimum of N100,000 monthly.
Musa disclosed this during an interview on News Central on Wednesday, ahead of its broadcast on the NC Exclusive programme on Friday.
The former Chief of Defence Staff also stated that the military remained underfunded despite the improvement in personnel welfare.
“It’s not enough,” the minister said when asked whether current funding was sufficient, despite the recent improvement in personnel welfare.
He, however, said the Federal Government had significantly improved soldiers’ salaries.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.
The minister also dismissed claims of poor feeding in the military, saying a viral video showing inadequate meals was staged after a soldier allegedly removed food items to create a false impression.
The minister also advocated the introduction of the death penalty for kidnappers, saying stiffer punishment was needed to curb the growing wave of abductions across the country.
