Retired General Theophilus Danjuma is set to lead a fundraising drive to raise N5bn for the rehabilitation of Government College Katsina-Ala in Benue State, as former students move to rescue the 111-year-old institution from years of infrastructural decay.
The Katsina-Ala Old Boys Association said the fundraising event would hold on October 19 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, bringing together alumni, governors, traditional rulers and other prominent Nigerians.
The association’s National President, Chief Anthony Adda, said the initiative followed repeated attempts to secure government intervention, adding that former students could no longer stand by as the school’s facilities deteriorated.
“The essence of what we are doing is to intervene so that the school will not die,” Adda said, lamenting what he described as prolonged neglect by those responsible for maintaining the institution.
Founded in 1915, Government College Katsina-Ala has served generations of students, but several of its classroom blocks are reportedly in poor condition despite some recent improvements to its facilities.
Adda, who enrolled at the college in 1967, praised Danjuma for renovating all five school hostels about three years ago, describing the intervention as an example for other alumni to follow.
“General TY Danjuma has been intervening in that school. He renovated all the five hostels there, and they are beautiful now,” he said.
However, he said many classroom buildings remained largely untouched, including some structures that were already in use when he entered the school decades ago.
“When you look at the classrooms, some of the structures we used when I entered Form One in 1967 are still there. Nobody has touched them,” he added.
The association has invited governors of states that historically formed part of the school’s catchment area, including 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.
Although the college is owned by the Benue State Government, Adda said its ownership should not stop former students and other well-meaning Nigerians from contributing to its rehabilitation.
He also raised concerns about alleged encroachment on the school’s land and the sale of some staff quarters by previous administrations.
According to him, the association had approached former Benue governor Samuel Ortom over the issue, prompting the establishment of a committee to identify affected portions of the land. Adda said Ortom directed that those who acquired parts of the property should be refunded and vacate the land.
The association is seeking further intervention from the current state government to resolve the outstanding land issues.
The planned N5bn fundraising is expected to support the restoration of the college’s facilities and preserve its legacy as one of the state’s historic educational institutions.
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