Army Council reviews officers’ conditions of services

…length of service now 40 years …may recall some retired senior officers There are strong indications that the Army Council may have reviewed the Harmonised Terms And Conditions Of Service (H-TACOS) for officers. Our reporter gathered from highly-placed military sources that the new H-TACOS may have moved the length of Service for Regular Combatant Officers from 35 to 40 years. This, according to sources, was spread across board (Second Lieutenant to the ranks of Generals). Investigation further revealed that while the new H-TACOS may have reviewed the retirement age of brigadier-generals from 56 to 58 years, that of major generals was said to have been moved from 58 to 60 years. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further disclosed that those who did not convert to Regular, may now enjoy the benefit of retiring after 15 years, instead of the initial 10 years. One of the sources said: “The Army Council has signed a new H-TACOS, where it added two years to the retirement age of brigadier-generals and same to the rank of major general. “In fact, from what I know, brigadier-generals are now to retire at the age of 58 (instead of 56), whereas two-star generals, by the new policy, have 60 years to retire (as against 58 years).” Another source, who spoke in similar vein, claimed that the revised H-TACOS may take retroactive effect (from January 2016). This was as New Telegraph further learnt that already, some retired senior officers, to whom this review covered, may have been communicated for voluntary return. “It is true that there is a new Condition of Service for the Regular Combatant Officers. “In the new scheme also, at least I’m well informed, those who did not convert to Regular, now have five additional years to the service. They may also be qualified for pension, after service. “Let me also tell you that some senior officers, who were caught up by the initial ages of retirement and length of service, have started receiving letters to return to the Army. “This covers officers that retired between January and now, based on the now-reviewed H-TACOS,” the source hinted. Efforts to get reaction from the Army failed, as the Force’s spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman, neither picked several calls put across to his phone line, nor did he reply to a message for the same purpose.]]>