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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Alumni Association (JOSTUMAA) has re-elected its National President, Engr. Theophilus Ukaa, and other officials to steer the affairs of the association for another term, with a call on members to embrace unity, peace and collective responsibility for the development of their alma mater.
The election took place during the association’s 2026 National Elective Convention held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The convention, had the themed “From Alumni to Partners in Progress: Repositioning JOSTUMAA for Institutional Excellence, Global Impact and Sustainable Development,” provided an opportunity for members to review the association’s challenges, celebrate achievements and explore ways of strengthening its partnership with the university.
Addressing the Alumni members, the Vice Chancellor of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), Professor Isaac Itodo, commended Ukaa and members of his executive committee for their services to the association, urging the alumni to sustain their support for the institution and contribute to its growth.
Itodo described the alumni association as a family advising it’s members to remain united regardless of their professional achievements and places of influence.
He said graduates of the university should recognize the institution as the foundation of their accomplishments, even when they had attended prestigious institutions elsewhere.
“You must have gone to Harvard or Yale, but whatever excellence you are showing is from here,” he said, urging members to contribute their best towards making the university competitive with leading institutions around the world.
The Vice Chancellor noted that JOSTUMAA had produced distinguished professionals, including individuals serving at the federal level, but lamented that the contributions and potential of the association had not been sufficiently recognized. He urged members to leverage their numerical strength and professional networks to advance their collective interests, warning against internal divisions.
Itodo who is also an alumni of the institution said “We are all brothers and sisters. Use your numerical strength as alumni to get what you want. Do not fight yourselves. Let us forge an unbreakable front of unity.”
Similarly, the Dean Student Affairs, Professor Simon Ejembi, in his goodwill message, called on members to conduct themselves with dignity and place the interests of the association above personal ambitions.
Ejembi urged contestants to see themselves as representatives of JOSTUMAA rather than individual or factional candidates, stressing the need to promote peace, harmony and mutual respect.
Earlier, the association’s President, Engr Theophilus Ukaa, in his address, acknowledged that the association had experienced years of internal disagreements, court cases and financial difficulties following disputes arising from its previous elective convention. He said the prolonged legal battles and orders affected the association’s bank accounts and constrained the ability of the executive committee to function effectively.
He, however, highlighted some achievements of his administration, including facilitating the recruitment of over 70 graduate assistants and lecturers who graduated from the university, interventions that enabled over 50 former students to complete their studies and obtain their certificates, and efforts to ensure the prompt release of results for graduates awaiting mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Ukaa also disclosed that the association had been unable to access one of its bank accounts due to ongoing legal issues, while more than N10 million in statutory deductions accruing to the association from graduating students has remained unpaid by the university.
He appealed to the university management to facilitate the release of the funds to support alumni projects and urged members to move beyond personal interests and work collectively towards rebuilding the association, noting that unity was essential to mobilizing the financial, professional and intellectual resources of alumni for the development of their alma mater.
Accepting his reelection, Ukaa expressed deep humility and gratitude for the confidence reposed in him by members of JOSTUMAA, appreciated all delegates and members for the renewed mandate and thank the VC, Professor Isaac Itodo, the Convention Planning Committee, the Electoral Committee and everyone who contributed to the success of the convention.
He described the victory as a collective mandate that calls on him, the entire Exco members and all alumni to work together in unity, peace and mutual understanding to rebuild the association and restore its pride of place.
He appealed to every member, regardless of past differences or affiliations, to put the interest of JOSTUMAA above personal ambitions and join hands with his EXCO in moving the association forward, assuring that his administration will remain open to constructive ideas, collaboration and meaningful contributions from all members.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Engr. Josiphiah Kumator, said the convention was an opportunity to reposition JOSTUMAA as a strategic partner in university development, student empowerment, research, innovation and professional networking.
Kumator said the proposed JOSTUMAA 2026-2030 Strategic Agenda would focus on institutional development, University partnership alumni welfare and unity, scholarships and mentorship, research and innovation, business and professional networking, global alumni engagement, and transparent digital governance.
He urged members to support the incoming leadership and contribute actively to the implementation of the agenda saying “JOSTUMAA belongs to all of us. It’s success cannot be the responsibility of elected officers alone. It requires the ideas, expertise, networks, resources and commitment of every alumnus.”
In his keynote address titled “From Alumni to Partners in Progress: Repositioning JOSTUMAA for Institutional Excellence, Global Impact and Sustainable Development,” the Director Research and Development, JOSTUM, Prof. John Igoli, urged alumni members to take greater responsibility for the institution’s development through financial support, infrastructure projects, mentorship and sustainable partnerships.
Igoli, who identified fundraising, scholarships, career guidance, research support, infrastructure development and participation in institutional governance as key areas where alumni could make meaningful contributions, called on them to maintain lifelong connections with their alma mater and contribute to its growth, regardless of their personal circumstances.
The professor who highlighted challenges facing the institution, including inadequate infrastructure and technology, limited funding for research, shortage of critical skills, brain drain and weak partnerships, urging members to build networks, mobilize resources and establish collaborations that would improve the university’s capacity to compete globally.
The professor further emphasized the need for trust, fairness, transparency, inclusiveness and clearly defined responsibilities to ensure effective partnerships between the alumni association and the university management, urging them to take ownership of development initiatives, build on existing networks, demonstrate success through practical projects and promote a culture of collective responsibility to meet institutional and societal needs.
The event also witnessed tour of University projects executed by one of them, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Itodo.
