President Bola Tinubu’s recent retirement package for Nigeria’s top military officials has drawn significant backlash from health professionals in the country.
The package includes a $20,000 annual foreign medical allowance, bulletproof SUVs, and domestic staff for retiring generals. These benefits were formalised in the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for military officers, signed on December 14, 2024.
Under this new policy, the Chief of Defence Staff and other top military leaders will receive bulletproof vehicles, which will be replaced every four years, along with a Peugeot 508 as a backup.
They will also be provided with a range of domestic staff, including cooks and security personnel.
Additionally, retiring military personnel will receive up to $20,000 annually for medical treatment, with higher allowances likely for the CDS and service chiefs.
For retiring lieutenant generals, the benefits include two Toyota Hilux vehicles or one Toyota Land Cruiser, while major generals and brigadier generals will be provided with a Toyota Land Cruiser, annual medical treatment worth $15,000, and domestic staff.
Colonels will receive a Toyota Corolla and medical care within Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have all voiced concerns.
NMA President Prof. Bala Audu expressed concerns about the allocation of funds for medical treatment abroad and urged the government to provide similar healthcare benefits within Nigeria.
MDCAN President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, called on the government to invest in improving the local healthcare system, stating that the need for foreign medical treatment signals a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
He stated, “My main concern is not what they are giving, but the fact that it is made official that the medical treatment has to be abroad.
When, in fact, in most situations, when they go out, it’s Nigerian doctors that they are going to meet.”
NARD President Dr. Tope Osundara also faulted the emphasis on medical tourism, urging the government to focus on improving healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria.
He highlighted the potential of Nigerian doctors and the urgent need for state-of-the-art equipment in local hospitals. “The treatment they go abroad to get can be gotten here in Nigeria,” Osundara said.
“What is stopping the government from providing state-of-the-art equipment in our hospitals or upgrading the hospitals?”
Beyond healthcare concerns, the retirement package has faced scrutiny from advocacy groups such as Accountability Lab Nigeria.
Country Director Friday Odeh questioned whether the military leaders had done enough to justify such lavish perks, especially considering the country’s ongoing security challenges.
Odeh voiced concerns over the disparity between the benefits afforded to the elites and the hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians, particularly in the face of rising insecurity.
Okechukwu Nwaguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law Advocacy and Accountability Centre, also pointed out the disconnect between the government’s actions and the struggles of the population.
He warned that the package could deepen public dissatisfaction and alienate the general public further.
Both Odeh and Nwaguma called for a reevaluation of government priorities, urging a shift in focus toward improving the welfare of ordinary Nigerians rather than rewarding the elite.
The growing backlash underscores the widening gap between the privileges of Nigeria’s powerful few and the pressing needs of the many.
