Youths from Benue State Tuesday wrote to the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Maj.-Gen. JO Ochai, alleging admission imbalance at the institution.
The youths, under the auspices of the Tiv Youth Organisation Worldwide, at a press briefing in Abuja, pleaded with the NDA boss to rectify the perceived disparities and ensure a fair representation of the true essence of federal character.
The President-General of the organisation, Andy Anzah, said, “In the 2021 admission into the 73 Regular Combatant Course of the NDA, out of 12 slots for Benue, the Tivs who have 14 LGs got two slots, with one in reserve; while the Idomas with nine LGs got 10 slots. At various levels, this has been happening for years.
“It’ll only grow worse now that their son is in charge of the military academy. While we do not demand the dismissal of Maj.-Gen. JO Ochai, we do ask him to address the unfairness in the admission of Tiv kids to that school in order to represent the genuine spirit of federal character.
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“The recent one is the admission into the 75 Regular Combatant Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, 2023 where the Idoma generals and their political collaborators have made it a duty to deprive Tiv youths of admission into that prestigious military school.
“Out of 13 slots for Benue state, Tiv who are the overwhelming majority in the state with two senatorial districts have three slots, and the Idoma has 10,” Anzah said.
