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Retired Lieutenant General and former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, alongside other notable Nigerians, is leading efforts to raise N5 billion for the rehabilitation of Government College Katsina-Ala, Benue state, as the institution marks 111 years of existence.
The fundraising event, organised by the Katsina-Ala Old Boys Association (KAOBA), is scheduled to hold on October 19, 2026 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The initiative aims to rescue the historic institution from years of infrastructural decay and restore its status as a centre of academic excellence.
The national president of KAOBA, Chief Anthony Adda, stated this in an exclusive interview with Blueprint Newspapers, saying that the intervention became necessary following what he described as prolonged neglect of the school by the authorities responsible for its maintenance.
Adda said the association decided to take the initiative after several efforts to secure government intervention yielded little progress.
According to him, Danjuma had demonstrated commitment to the school’s revival by renovating its five hostels about three years ago, providing a model for other old students to contribute to the institution’s development.
He said: “General TY Danjuma has been intervening in that school. He renovated all the five hostels there, and they are beautiful now.
“But 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. We felt that what General Danjuma is doing should challenge the younger ones to also contribute.”
The KAOBA president added that the association’s primary objective was to prevent the school from deteriorating further, stressing that the institution remained a source of pride to its alumni across different generations.
Adda, who said he entered the school in 1967, lamented that its infrastructure had deteriorated to the point where former students felt compelled to take direct action.
He noted that the school belonged to the Benue State Government and not the old boys, but argued that alumni could not stand by while an institution that shaped their lives continued to decline.
“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.
Adda also raised concerns over alleged encroachment on the school’s land and the sale of some staff quarters by previous administrations.
He recalled that the association had approached former Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, over the encroachment, adding that a committee was subsequently established to identify affected portions of the land.
According to him, the former governor directed that those who had acquired portions of the land should be refunded and asked to leave.
However, Adda said the association had struggled to secure similar attention from the authorities since the change of administration.
He stated that some teachers now live outside the school premises because portions of the staff quarters had reportedly been sold, raising concerns about the welfare of personnel and the state of facilities.
The association, he added, had encouraged the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to submit periodic reports to the Ministry of Education on the challenges facing the institution.
Adda explained that the school historically admitted students from several areas that were part of the same provincial administration before the creation of states, making the institution’s legacy extend beyond Benue.
He said the association was also reaching out to corporate organisations, financial institutions, traditional rulers and wealthy individuals.
According to him, some families still maintain records of their fathers and relatives who attended the school decades ago, including former students who served as head boys in the 1940s.
He appealed to invited dignitaries and well-meaning Nigerians to support the initiative, saying the intervention would help restore the school’s facilities and preserve its historical significance.
Adda said the fundraising was part of a broader effort to give back to an institution that had contributed to the education and development of generations of Nigerians.
As part of efforts to mobilise support for the N5bn fundraising, KAOBA has invited governors of states that historically formed part of the school’s catchment area, alongside prominent individuals and traditional rulers whose families have longstanding ties to the institution.
Those expected include Benue state governor, Rev. Hyacinth Alia; Taraba state governor, Dr Agbu Kefas; Nasarawa state governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule; Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Kogi state governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; and Cross River state governor, Bassey Otu.
Established in 1915, Government College Katsina-Ala began as a middle school in Wannune before relocating to its present location in Katsina-Ala in the 1920s. It is widely regarded as the oldest secondary school in Benue State and has served students from several parts of the North-Central and Middle Belt regions.
However, Adda said the association had struggled to secure similar attention from the authorities since the change of administration.
He stated that some teachers now live outside the school premises because portions of the staff quarters had reportedly been sold, raising concerns about the welfare of personnel and the state of facilities.
The association, he added, had encouraged the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to submit periodic reports to the Ministry of Education on the challenges facing the institution.
Adda explained that the school historically admitted students from several areas that were part of the same provincial administration before the creation of states, making the institution’s legacy extend beyond Benue.
He said the association was also reaching out to corporate organisations, financial institutions, traditional rulers and wealthy Nigerians to support the fundraising.
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