APC chieftain praises military pay hike but stresses tech vital for beating terrorism
APC chieftain Osita Okechukwu commended President Tinubu's approval of 80% salary increases for Privates to Staff Sergeants, 50% for Warrant Officers to Colonels, and 30% for Brigadiers to Generals, alongside expanding the Nigerian Army from 8 to 12 divisions. He spoke Sunday, calling the pay rise deserved but insufficient for ending terrorism.
Okechukwu argued that 21st century warfare is won through technology—not troop numbers—citing drones, satellite surveillance, electronic warfare, cyber operations, precision-guided weapons, AI, and real-time intelligence as decisive factors. He warned that sustaining such large salary increases amid Nigeria's lean fiscal resources risks hyper-inflation and could trigger similar demands across civil service and paramilitary agencies.
Instead, he proposed investing budget resources in welfare enablers like comprehensive healthcare, quality education, and affordable mortgage home schemes—noting 80% of Armed Forces lack mortgage homes—to spread joy, strengthen purchasing power, encourage productivity and employment more effectively than across-the-board pay raises.
With Nigeria battling insurgency in the Northeast and banditry nationwide, will prioritizing drone squadrons and AI intelligence over universal salary hikes actually protect more lives—and is the country ready for the tech-driven military shift modern threats demand?