By David Torough, Abuja

Ejeziem Chukwuemeka Joseph has been elected President General of the All Hallows Seminary Old Boys Association (AHOBA), polling 152 votes in the association’s 2026 election.

Ejeziem defeated two other candidates, Onyia Nwabueze Cyril, who scored 91 votes, and Obibuba Stanislaw Amechi, who received 29 votes.

He succeeds Nze Akachukwu Sullivan Nwankpo, who served as President General from 2022 to 2026.

Okafor is a former Vice-Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, while Nwankpo served as Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Technical Matters and Secretary of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

In the other positions, Christian Ezenwa Ikedinma emerged Vice President with 144 votes, defeating Onunkwo Chukwuma Martin, who polled 110 votes.

Anthony Echibe Chukwuemeka won the Financial Secretary position with 141 votes against Ezeonyia Sebastian Emeka, who scored 120 votes.

Ezeonyia Damian Chigozie emerged as Public Relations Officer I with 159 votes, defeating Udoh Benedict Sunny, who polled 98 votes.

Other members of the new executive include Fr. Paschal Okokwo as Secretary, Ifeanyi Valerian Okechukwu as Assistant Secretary and Okafor Tobias Obi as Public Relations Officer II.

In his post-election message to members, Ejeziem, who is the youngest person elected as President-General of the association since inception thanked those who supported his emergence, describing the victory as an opportunity to build an association that would serve members across different generations.

He said the new administration would work towards designing an association that meets the needs of members and provides support for senior old boys.

Ejeziem also acknowledged the contributions of former leaders, members of different sets and those who participated in the election.

He expressed appreciation to members of his executive for accepting to serve, saying that important work lay ahead for the new administration.

In his manifesto, titled Let Love Lead, Ejeziem outlined areas of focus, including healthcare and welfare support for senior members, mentorship and opportunities for younger members, strengthening the association, supporting former teachers and domestic staff, and improving the association’s contributions to All Hallows Seminary.

He also proposed health outreaches for senior members, a mentorship programme connecting younger members with experienced professionals, and an AHOBA Business and Professional Summit.

On strengthening the association, he proposed constitutional reforms, improved representation of individual sets and more accessible voting arrangements.

Ejeziem, an alumnus of the 1997 set, is a First Class graduate of Philosophy and holds a master’s degree in Information Technology Management.

He is the co-founder of Deacons Digital Solutions Ltd, promoters of the Prep50 Past Questions Series for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

He previously served as president of his set, chairman of AHOBA Shoprite Football Club and secretary of the Centenary Fundraising Committee for the seminary’s centenary celebrations.

He said his administration would require the cooperation and support of members to translate its commitments into practical achievements.

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo has donated N35 million for the completion of the ongoing community Town Hall project in Takete-Ide Amuro, Mopamuro Local Government Area.

The governor also promised and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fix the Orokere-Ayede-Takete Ide road where the Owowo Bridge is located.

Ododo made the pledge over the weekend, at the 2026 Takete-Ide Amuro Centenary Celebration and Development Fundraising, where he was represented by the Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Rt.

The governor described the centenary as a celebration of 100 years of history, heritage and the remarkable journey of Takete-Ide Amuro since its settlement in its present location in 1926.

The governor commended the community’s spirit of self-help, noting that its first primary school, secondary school and health centre were built through communal efforts before government intervention.

He said the ongoing Town Hall and Palace projects were important initiatives that will strengthen community administration and preserve traditional heritage, pledging government’s support within available resources.

“On a personal note, I have released funds of N35 million towards the completion of the Town Hall project as my personal contribution to the development of this community,” Ododo said.

On infrastructure, the governor said he was aware of the deplorable condition of the Orokere-Ayede-Takete Ide road, particularly the Owowo Bridge, which had been brought to his attention by his cabinet member from the area.

“Our engineers are assessing the situation and I want to assure you that we will attend to the road in due course. When we make a promise, we are committed to ensuring that it is fulfilled,” he assured.

Ododo urged youths to sustain the legacy of communal development, embrace education and entrepreneurship, and called on sons and daughters in the diaspora to invest in the community.

He also urged residents to cooperate with security agencies and provide credible intelligence to safeguard lives and property.

The Chief Host and Chairman, Central Planning Committee, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, who is also Commissioner for Information and Communication, said the centenary marked 100 years since the community moved to its present location in 1926.

He called for unity, noting that the community achieved its early schools and health centre through communal efforts.

The Alamuro of Amuro Kingdom, HRM Oba Alfred Modupe Aiyedogbon, said the celebration provided an opportunity to showcase the culture of the people and draw government attention to challenges, especially the bad road and bridge.

He urged communities to embrace self-help, noting that the government cannot do everything, and called for peace, saying Amuro remains one of the most peaceful communities in Kogi.

The Baale of Amuro Kingdom, Chief Eric Fiki, said the week-long event was to honour past heroes, celebrate the living and raise funds to complete the town hall and palace projects.

Fiki said the community believes in self-help but still deserves government presence, adding that the community is fully in support of Gov. Ododo and President Bola Tinubu.

The National President, Takete-Ide Progressive Union (TIPU), Prince Richard Fiki, said the centenary was about heritage, peace, love and unity, aimed at promoting culture and attracting investment and government intervention in agriculture and other areas.

Highlight of the occasion was conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles on personalities for contributions to community development, cultural displays and presentation of gifts to the Special Guest of Honour.

One of the recipients, Chief Adekunle Abogun, the Gbobaniyi of Takete-Ide, said giving back to the community should not wait until one has billions, stressing that the government cannot do everything and individuals must support health, education and infrastructure.

The celebration brought together government functionaries, traditional rulers, lawmakers and sons and daughters of Takete-Ide Amuro at home and in diaspora.

A graduate of the University of Maiduguri, Shianya Ebwaseh, said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) helped improve her Grade Point Average (GPA) to 3.50 through financial support that enabled her to concentrate on her studies.

Ebwaseh, who graduated from the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, said this in an interview on Monday in Maiduguri.

She said financial difficulties had previously affected her academic performance, as she struggled to meet her daily needs while pursuing her degree.

The graduate said she resorted to selling fried chips and groundnuts on campus to support herself, sometimes missing lectures because of the time and energy required to run the business.

According to her, the introduction of NELFUND’s student loan scheme relieved her financial burden through tuition support and a monthly N20,000 upkeep allowance.

“Before NELFUND, I struggled with my GPA because of financial challenges. I sometimes missed lectures after spending hours frying and packaging chips for sale.

“But when NELFUND came, I stopped the business and concentrated on my studies. My GPA improved to 3.50, which is Second Class Upper,” she said.

Ebwaseh said the financial support also enabled her to attend lectures regularly, purchase learning materials and prepare adequately for tests and examinations without constant worries about money.

She added that her examination scores improved significantly after she began receiving the support, attributing the change to increased concentration and financial stability.

The graduate, who said she accessed the scheme in her third year, described the application process as simple and encouraged other eligible students to apply.

She also said the programme had helped financially disadvantaged students remain in school, particularly those whose parents could not afford tuition fees and upkeep.

Ebwaseh appealed to the Federal Government to sustain the initiative, emphasising that withdrawing the support could expose many students to financial difficulties and possible dropout.

She said the scheme had given beneficiaries an opportunity to pursue their academic ambitions with fewer financial distractions.(NAN)