Ukaa returns as JOSTUM Alumni President, stakeholders seek reconciliation, varsity development

By Tolu Temidire

The Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi Alumni Association, JOSTUMAA, has re-elected Engr. Dr Theophilus Ukaa as its National President, with stakeholders urging members to end years of internal wrangling and unite behind the development of their alma mater.

Ukaa secured another mandate at the association’s National Elective Convention held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the university campus in Makurdi, Benue State, where other national officers were also elected to serve alongside him.

Those elected included Dr Joel Dzongor as National Secretary; Vangervihi Shima, National Financial Secretary; Ganan Wash-Pam, National Treasurer; Dr Terungwa Age, National Publicity Secretary; Dr Ama Oryina, National Auditor; and Dr Ngodoo Tyona, National Social Secretary.

The convention provided an opportunity for members to review the association’s challenges and achievements, as well as consider strategies for strengthening its relationship with the university and promoting institutional growth.

Addressing participants, the Vice-Chancellor of JOSTUM, Prof. Isaac Itodo, commended Ukaa and his executive members for their service, urging alumni to deploy their collective influence, professional expertise and resources to advance the university’s standing among higher institutions in the country.

Itodo described the alumni as an extension of one family, insisting that whatever accomplishments members recorded elsewhere should be traced, in part, to the foundation they received at the university.

"The Alumni should be considered as a family. I am proud of this University. You must have gone to Harvard or Yale, but whatever excellence you are showing is from here," he said.

The Vice-Chancellor, who noted that JOSTUM graduates had distinguished themselves in different professional fields, including service at the federal executive level, lamented that the contributions of the association were not receiving adequate recognition. He urged members to use their numerical strength and influence to support the university's development.

"We are all brothers and sisters. Use your numerical strength as alumni to get what you want. Do not fight each other. Let us forge an unbreakable front of unity," Itodo said, warning against divisions capable of undermining the association's collective interests.

Also speaking, Prof. Simon Ejembi, an alumnus of the university, urged members to approach the election and other activities with maturity, decency and a strong sense of responsibility, stressing that contestants should be regarded as representatives of the association rather than candidates of individual interests or factions.

Ejembi called on members to preserve peace and harmony, noting that the association's progress depended on their willingness to respect one another and work towards common objectives.

In his address, Ukaa acknowledged that JOSTUMAA had experienced years of crisis following disagreements over the previous elective convention, which triggered court cases and garnishee orders on the association's bank accounts, limiting the ability of the executive to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

He commended Itodo, the pioneer president of the association, for intervening in the dispute and facilitating dialogue among the contending factions. According to Ukaa, the intervention helped establish common ground, including the nomination of Engr. Nda Isaiah to represent the alumni on the university's Governing Council.

Reviewing his administration's performance, Ukaa said the executive had recorded achievements despite financial and administrative difficulties. He listed the facilitation of the recruitment of more than 70 graduate assistants and lecturers, the recall and subsequent graduation of over 50 former students affected by residency requirements, and interventions in disciplinary matters involving alumni.

He also cited efforts to ensure the timely release of students' results for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, the orientation of newly recruited academic staff, the management of the university's water factory and support for the institution's Enactus team.

The president, however, disclosed that his administration inherited an almost empty account and was confronted with prolonged litigation that restricted access to the association's funds. He said access had been restored to its First Bank account, while the Stanbic IBTC account remained inaccessible amid an unresolved legal dispute.

Ukaa further stated that the association was owed more than N10 million in statutory deductions from graduating students, which he said had not been released by the university. He appealed to the incoming leadership to pursue the payment of the money to enable the association to execute its programmes and support development projects.

He urged alumni to embrace the principle of giving back to their alma mater, arguing that the sustainability of the association depended on members' willingness to make sacrifices rather than seek personal benefits. He also commended Itodo's administration for staff promotions, the expansion of academic programmes, improved results processing, increased inaugural lectures, convocation ceremonies and infrastructural development.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Engr. Kumator Josiphiah, said the gathering was designed to reposition JOSTUMAA as a strategic partner in the university's development rather than merely a platform for reunions and social interaction.

Josiphiah said the convention's theme, "From Alumni to Partners in Progress: Repositioning JOSTUMAA for Institutional Excellence, Global Impact and Sustainable Development," underscored the need for members to translate their collective goodwill into measurable results. He identified the association's 2026–2030 Strategic Agenda as a framework for advancing institutional partnerships, alumni welfare, scholarships, mentorship, research, innovation, professional networking and transparent digital governance.

In his keynote address, the Director of Research and Development at JOSTUM, Prof. John Ogoli, challenged alumni to take greater responsibility for the university's future, comparing their relationship with the institution to that between a daughter and her mother.

He urged graduates to support infrastructure, research, student welfare and career development, while identifying inadequate funding, limited research capacity, brain drain and weak institutional partnerships as challenges requiring collective action.

The convention also featured a tour of projects executed by the Itodo-led university administration.