Reps Urge Nigerian Army Council to discontinue the automatic merger of SSCC, DSSC, DRC ….As Bill for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management of Nigeria Passes Second Reading By Saheed Badmus
Reps Urge Nigerian Army Council to discontinue the automatic merger of
SSCC, DSSC, DRC
….As Bill for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management of Nigeria Passes Second Reading
Nigerian House of Representatives has urged the Nigerian Army Council to discontinue the automatic merger of service years for officers commissioned through Short Service Combatant Commission (SSCC), Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC), and Direct Regular Commission (DRC)
While recommending that the merger be made optional and applicable only upon written request for pension computation purposes the house also urged the Armed Forces Council to harmonise service reckonability across the Army, Navy, and Air Force to ensure fairness, cohesion, and doctrinal uniformity;
This followed a motion moved during Wednesday plenary by Hon. Zakaria Dauda Nyampa, a member representing Michika/Madagali Federal Constituency of Adamawa State
Hon. Nyampa further urged the Chief of Army Staff to take necessary measures to conduct sensitisation and issue transitional guidelines to ensure clarity and prevent misinterpretation;
Body of the motion reads: “The House notes that the Nigerian Army’s current policy automatically merges the years of service of soldiers commissioned through Short Service Combatant Commission (SSCC), Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC), and Direct Regular Commission (DRC).
“Also notes that this policy counts the years served by such officers as soldiers, including periods
spent in university education or waiting for commissioning, as part of their total reckonable service;
“Aware that this policy is inconsistent with the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTACOS), 2017 (Revised) which defines an officer’s military service as “a period of unbroken service in the Armed Forces of Nigeria from the date of commission to the date of retirement”, and violates the Doctrine of Legitimate Expectation and principles of contractual fairness as enshrined in Sections 7 and 91 of the Labour Act (Cap L1, LFN 2004).
“Also aware that the automatic merger policy is discriminatory, undermines morale and cohesion within the officer corps, accelerates the retirement of experienced personnel, creates manpower gaps, increases recruitment costs, erodes institutional memory, and deviates from international best practices.
“Resolves to: urge the Nigerian Army Council to discontinue the automatic merger of service years for
officers commissioned through SSCC, DSSC, and DRC, and recommend that the merger be made optional and applicable only upon written request for pension computation purposes.
” Also urge the Armed Forces Council to harmonise service reckonability across the Army, Navy, and Air Force to ensure fairness, cohesion, and doctrinal uniformity;
“Further urge the Chief of Army Staff to take necessary measures to conduct sensitisation and issue transitional guidelines to ensure clarity and prevent misinterpretation.
“Urge the Nigerian Army Council to undertake legal and administrative reviews to forestall possible litigations arising from the retroactive application of the policy.
“Mandate the Committee on Army to conduct thorough oversight for the protection of the rights, welfare, and career progression of officers in the Nigerian Army, while ensuring
consistency with Armed Forces regulations and best practices, and report within four weeks.
In another development, a Bill for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management of Nigeria to Provide for the Control of its Membership and Promote the Practice of Human Resources and Strategic Management in Nigeria and for Related Matters (HB.2508) also sponsored by Hon. Zakaria Dauda Nyampa scales through Second Reading.
