House of Representatives is expected to commence debate on the general principles of a bill which seeks to provide for the engagement of senior retired Army Officers.
The private member bill sponsored by Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi seeks to amend the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, proposed the engagement as Consultants, of Senior Compulsorily Retired Officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces to provide training and guidance to serving officers and for related matters.
According to him, the affected Officers were compulsorily retired by reason of the appointment by the President as a Chief of Defence Staff or a Service Chief.
The sponsor of the legislation proposed the insertion of a new section 18A as well as the amendment of section 30 of the Principal Act.
Clause 2 of the proposed new section 18A provides that: “As from the commencement of this Bill, any Senior Serving Member of the Armed Forces of the Federation that is required to retire compulsorily by reason only that an officer of the same rank or a subordinate rank is appointed by the President of the Federal Republic, as the Chief of Defence Staff, or Chief of Army Staff, or Chief of the Naval Staff or Chief of the Air Staff, shall be engaged by the Chief of Defense Staff as Senior technical consultants for the training of officers of the Armed Forces of the Federation in the Nigerian Defence College, Armed Forces Staff College or any other like institution.”
Clause 18(2) also stipulates that: “The President shall determine the terms and condition of engagement of each consultant provided that not consultant shall be engaged for a period exceeding 5 years from the date of his engagement.”
Clause 18(3) further provides that: “the provision of this Clause does not apply to senior serving Members of the Armed Forces of the Federation who were retired compulsorily as a result of a disciplinary measure, or on health ground or whose compulsory retirement was for any reason otherwise than as provided in clause 2 of this Bill.”
Hon. Gbewfi also proposed amendment to Section 30 of the Principal Act by inserting, after the existing subsection (3), a new subsection (4) which states that: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Principal Act, the age of retirement for members of the Armed Forces shall be 40 years of Service or 65 years of age whichever come first.”
As stipulated in the Explanatory Memorandum, the purpose of this bill is to ensure that serving Military Officers learn from the wealth of knowledge and experiences of retired senior military officers compulsorily retired as a result of the appointment of their junior as Chief of Defence Staff or Service Chiefs.
The bill which passed through First Reading is expected to be gazetted for Second Reading by the House Committee on Rules and Business chaired by Hon. Francis Waive.
. TheWitness
