Retired Lieutenant General and former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, is expected to lead prominent Nigerians in raising N5 billion for the rehabilitation of Government College Katsina-Ala in Benue State.
The fundraising, organised by the Katsina-Ala Old Boys Association (KAOBA), is scheduled for October 19 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
Founded in 1915, the 111-year-old institution has suffered years of infrastructural decline, prompting its former students to mobilise resources to restore its facilities and academic standards.
KAOBA National President, Chief Anthony Adda, said the association decided to take action after efforts to secure government intervention failed to produce the desired results.
Speaking in Abuja, Adda said the alumni could no longer allow the school to deteriorate while waiting for the authorities responsible for its upkeep to address the situation.
He cited Danjuma’s contributions to the institution as an example of how individuals could support its revival, noting that the retired general renovated all five school hostels about three years ago.
“General TY Danjuma has been intervening in that school. He renovated all the five hostels there, and they are beautiful now,” Adda said.
However, he expressed concern over the condition of several classroom blocks, some of which have remained largely untouched for decades.
According to him, some of the buildings were already in use when he enrolled at the college in 1967 and have yet to receive significant renovations.
Adda said the planned fundraising was intended to prevent further deterioration and preserve the institution’s historical legacy.
“The essence of what we are doing is to intervene so that the school will not die. It appears there has been a lot of negligence on the part of whoever is supposed to take care of the school,” he said.
Although Government College Katsina-Ala is owned by the Benue State Government, the KAOBA president maintained that its ownership should not stop former students and other well-meaning Nigerians from contributing to its development.
The association has invited governors of states that previously formed part of the school’s catchment area, alongside traditional rulers, influential individuals and other stakeholders with longstanding connections to the institution.
Governors expected at the event include Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi and Bassey Otu of Cross River.
Beyond the school’s infrastructure, Adda also raised concerns over alleged encroachment on its land and the sale of some staff quarters by previous administrations.
He said the association had taken the matter to former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom, who subsequently constituted a committee to investigate the affected portions of the school’s land.
According to Adda, Ortom directed that those who had acquired parts of the property be refunded and asked to vacate the land.
He, however, said the association was still seeking the current administration’s intervention to resolve the outstanding issues.
The October 19 event is expected to bring together alumni, government officials and other stakeholders to raise funds for the rehabilitation of the historic institution.