Ex-Defence Minister Danjuma, Wife Donate Hostel To UNIBEN

The family of a former Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd), has donated ultra-modern girls hostel to the University of Benin.

Speaking at the inauguration of the hostel on Wednesday, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Lilian Salami, said the edifice, named after the matriarch of the family, Daisy Danjuma, demonstrated a belief in girl-child.

She said, “We are here to celebrate someone who is just marvellous. I say so with no reservation. How can someone sit in her quiet corner and continue to give, if not someone whom God has created to impact humanity? When we started with the first hostel, we just visited Daisy and General Theophilus Danjuma asked us what we wanted from the family.

“We said if they could give us a hostel, we would appreciate it, and we were promised one hostel, which was inaugurated by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Saturday, April 29, 2023. When Daisy came to UNIBEN to  inaugurate the hostel, she said, ‘Why not give a second hostel?’ We thought it was a joke until the foundation laying came and we had it.

“Here again, celebrating Daisy’s 72nd birthday, and she promised to give us a third hostel. I am sure if this continues, by the time she reaches 90, God willing, we will probably have Senator Daisy Danjuma hostels everywhere in UNIBEN.”

The vice-chancellor expressed the hope that the family would grant the request of male students in the institution for a boys’ hostel.

In his address, the representative of the donor, Andy Ehanire, commended the institution for singling out the former Minister and his wife for honorary doctoral degrees, saying,  "The Danjuma family felt it owed the university more than the university owed them."