Barr. Igbeta Commends The Splitting Of The College Of Aviation Technology Across The Six Geo-Political Zones

**Says Initiative Is Long Over Due

**Urge President Tinubu To Also Split The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) ETC And Site It’s South-South Zonal Campus In Any Of The Ijaw Communities

A one time National Legal Adviser of the Ijaw Youths Council Ayebakuro Igbeta Esq, has commended His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for taking the bold initiative to split the College of Aviation Technology.

Recall that on Monday the 6th of January, 2025 Mr. President directed the decentralization of the College of Aviation Technology to all Six Geo-political zones of the Federation. Commenting on the Presidential directive the former Law Officer of the IYC expressed relief that finally a President has seen things just like him, as he, as an individual has always expressed this desire even before the days of Buhari’s administration, the need for fair, transparent and equitable distribution and decentralization of critical state assets and institutions of these nature.

In Igbeta’s opinion the decentralization would allow for rapid infrastructural/human capital development as new communities would now be opened up for Federal Government presence with thriving economic advantage owing to the influx of students and personnel. He further opined that the spliting of the Institution would allow greater access by interested Nigerians and also for greater efficiency/impact of the college which is a national pride.

Sharing his thoughts further on the nature of critical national assets, Igbeta who is currently the Secretary General of both the Bayelsa State Centre for Youth Development and the Prosperity Youths Coalition, the latter which is a known group that has gained prominence in the Bayelsa Political scene owing to its contributions to views on key subjects such as empowerment and the drive for a youth centred approach to addressing developmental challenges of the Niger Delta region; he while commending President BAT for such other bold steps like the Tax Reform Bill, also called for a replication of the aviation college directive on key national institutions like the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), the Nigerian Army Depot and Nigerian Flying School, which no doubt are over centralised and argued that these institutions do not represent the spirit of true Federal Character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Igbeta praised the President and urged Nigerians never to be shy away from commending our leaders where they do well just as we must not restrain ourselves from criticizing them when dey tend to go aloof, irrespective of their ethnic, tribal or religious backgrounds.