Aviation students from Plateau State under the aegis of Association of Plateau State Aviation Students (APSAS), have praised Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong for his financial support through prompt payment of scholarship allowances and other financial support to them.
There are 60 Plateau State students studying at the Nigerian Collage, of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, International Aviation Collage Ilorin and Air Force Institute of Technology Kaduna. There are 20 of them in each of the three colleges.
The students gave their commendation in a statement signed by their President Jerry Gwom and the Secretary Samuel Innocent.
They acknowledged that Lalong’s interest in the aviation sector had made Plateau the only state in the country that was consistent in sponsoring its youths to train as pilots, engineers and other aviation experts in the last three years.
The statement reads, “We are glad that the governor gave us the rare opportunity to study in these renowned aviation training institutions in the country that are established for training and producing skilled workforce to service the aviation industry.
“These institutions train flight engineers, cabin crews, pilots and meteorologists, and offer several other related courses.
“The fees charged by these institutions are quite high and a scholarship is usually recommended to enable the students cope with the theoretical and practical demands of the training so as to be able to compete with their colleagues anywhere in the world.
“The support given to us by the present administration of Simon Lalong is enormous and unquantifiable. This is in line with the desire of President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration to establish a national carrier for the country before December 2018.
“The proposed establishment of a national carrier by President Buhari is also a welcome development that is expected to create employment opportunities for us professional graduates at the end of the training.”
They reiterated their support for Lalong’s administration which they said is focused on empowering youths and preparing them for leadership challenges.