The Nigerian Army has strongly denied allegations of diverting the Ration Cash Allowance (RCA) meant for troops deployed to secure Chinese nationals working at the Zungeru Hydro Electricity Dam Project in Niger State. The allegations were reported by some online media outlets, with troops claiming they hadn’t received their RCA for three months and accusing their former Commanding General Officers, Maj. Gen. Alabi and Brig. Gen. Jamiu Jimoh, of misappropriating their allowance.
Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, issued a statement on Monday refuting the claims. He emphasized the Nigerian Army’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of financial accountability and its determination to avoid any actions that could undermine troop morale.
After conducting an investigation into the allegations, the Army concluded that they were unfounded. The statement clarified that the allowance is disbursed in tranches, with the last payment having been made on February 28, 2023. While the next tranche was being processed, the Army Headquarters decided to pay the affected troops their allowances from March to June to improve their working conditions and ensure equity with deployments in other areas.
Additionally, the Army provides daily meals for the troops to mitigate the challenges associated with the tranche payment system. The statement emphasized that the RCA meant for the troops had not been diverted by any of the senior officers mentioned in the reports, contrary to the allegations made.
