“This is not the college that we know. This is really very sad and disappointing” some of them shouted. A lot of things have gone wrong with the school in the past 25 years of since its existence 64 years ago, principally as a result of the transfer of the ownership of the college from one state to the other and the neglect of the education sector by government. The Patient Hall, one of the oldest buildings in the school was almost filled to the brim as they sang the college song with so nostalgia. But the reality was that the school was in dire need of salvation. The roll call of those who attended the occasion includes,
the President General of KOBA Major. Gen. Emmanuel Abisoye (rtd), Vice Chairman of PZ Cussion, Mr. Tunde Oyelola, Alhaji Inwa Jibrin, former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Bello Ahmed Salim, Justice James Ogebe (JSC rtd), Chief Judge of Kogi state, Justice Nasir Ajana, Justice Ahmed Gusau, Ambassador Umaru Azores Suleiman, Dr. Christopher Eta, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu, Mr. Cephas Akpan and Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim. Others include, Engr. Kayode Adeyemi, Arc. Bashir Usman, Mr. Silvanus Namang, Dr. Yahaya Mohammed, Dr. Mathew Ashikeni, Barrister Ibrahim Usman, Alhaji Mohammed, Prof. Abraham Bala and Alhaji Mohammed Bello Lawan, Mr. Isaac Shuaibu, secretary to the Kebbi state government, Alhaji Bala Musa Sakaba and Mr. Philip Dabup among others. The neglect of public schools and the crisis in the education sector has taken its toll on the school and the cherished values which made the school stand out as the best in the north had since faded many years ago.
Some of them who spoke in an interview with THISDAY were so emotional about the decay and apparent collapse of basic infrastructure in the college. Hon. Oze Jashua who graduated from the college in 1980 said he broke down in tears during the inspection tour of the hostels and classrooms, adding however that the meeting afforded him the opportunity to reunite with his class mates. “The meeting has provided me the opportunity to see our elders, mates and juniors to share ideas as well as celebrate memories of the past and strengthen our unity. “But we are sad because the whole infrastructures are dilapidated. In fact I shaded tears when we were going round the school on inspection, especially when I saw my House, Niger House. It was burnt down; Kaduna House was looking like a forest because students no longer live in these hostels again. “Surprisingly there are no more beds. Those double bunks we used to sleep on are no more there, the students sleep on the floor. It is a very pathetic situation”. “I want every member of KOBA to contribute so that we can put these structures back. I share the idea that the school should be handed over to KOBA because by so doing, the school would be managed properly and restored to its former glory” Joshua said. Also commenting Alhaji Mohammed Zakari Jamil, the Acting Registrar of Nasarawa state university said he was emotional of the decay in the college.
“I am very emotional about the condition of the school because it is not what it used to be again during our time. There is a lot of infrastructural decay. Everything has deterioted, it is very sad and painful. “Infrastructure has broken down; the students are not well kept. Everything must be done to revive this institution, it is very, and very important that we the old boys do so something and that is what we are trying to do by coming together to proffer solutions to the problems. “I hope that every year we will be able to meet to add value to ensure that the past glory of the college is not only reviving, but is improved for the future. “The meeting has afforded us the opportunity to relive our school days, that were the most impressionable age of our lives and it leaves a lot of memories, so we are excited to have met each other again” he said. Also in his comment Mr. Abraham Bala and said the meeting was a great opportunity to come back to the school once more. “We have reunited with childhood friends and classmates. I have not seen some of them since 1975 when I graduated. I have gone round the school and I feel very sad about the state of things” he added. For Engr. Kayode Adeyemi graduated from the college in the 1960s, it was a wonderful experience to meet with classmates that one have not see for so many years to share old the old memories. He however lamented the situation of things in the college, saying it was a very unfortunate that things have degenerated to a very sad level. “I have gone the school and what I saw is very pitiful, having been in the college in the 1960s when everything was working, it is a shame to see the dilapidation and decay in the school” he said Another old student, Mr. Isaac Shuaibu said the occasion reminded him of those days when he was a young man in the school. “This gathering takes us back to our youthful days. You are seeing us with grey hairs but you will notice that we are behaving like the teenagers that we were when we were in the college.
“The meeting has brought about memories of the past. It raises our hope for the future. You see those who are older than you, are still getting on, so you have no right to be tired because those who were in the school before you are still very active. I graduated from the school in 1966 after doing my Higher School Certificate (HSC)” he said. Several projects initiated by some of the old boys as part of efforts to improve the condition of the college were commissioned by the President General of KOBA, Gen. Abisoye. The projects include the renovation of the school clinic, the construction of a borehole and the renovation of a block of classrooms among others. Speaking during the meeting, the KOBA President said the only way to salvage school and restoring is past glory is for the association to take over the management of the college. Abisoye disclosed at that the association plans to visit the Nasarawa state governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Almakura to request the state government to hand over to the old boys to manage. He said a limited liability company would be registered by KOBA shares would be offered to facilitate the running of the school if the Nasarawa states government hands over the college to the association
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