By Samuel Adikwu
Professor Francis Uba, the newly elected President of the St. John’s Secondary School, Amoke Old Students Association in Benue State, has pledged to reposition the institution and elevate it above its peers through purposeful leadership and strategic interventions.
Speaking at the maiden Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting of the Association held on Saturday in his office in Otukpo, Benue State, Prof. Uba said his administration would be guided by a clear vision, mission, purpose and objectives aimed at transforming St. John’s College, Amoke into the secondary school of first choice for admission seekers and, in the long term, developing it into an institution capable of attaining a status beyond that of a conventional secondary school.
The President, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), commended the immediate past Executive Committee for its contributions to the Association. He, however, stressed that the success of the newly elected leadership would be measured by its ability to surpass the achievements of its predecessors.
He called on members of the Executive Committee and the entire body of old students to unite behind his administration in pursuing the vision of restoring the school’s lost glory.
To demonstrate his commitment, Prof. Uba inaugurated two committees—the History and Documentation Committee and the Research and Innovation Committee—to lay the foundation for the Association’s developmental interventions in the school. He announced a donation of N500,000 to support the committees’ activities and other immediate needs of the Association, adding that the committees’ terms of reference would be released soon.
The meeting also adopted key resolutions aimed at strengthening the Association’s administrative effectiveness. Among them was the clean-up and early implementation of the newly adopted Constitution to fully reflect amendments approved during the Congress meeting of November 29, 2025, and align it with the standards of other well-structured alumni associations.
Prof. Uba expressed appreciation to members for electing him President despite what he described as his belief that he was neither the most senior nor the most qualified among them. He said he was deeply humbled by the confidence reposed in him and pledged not to take the mandate for granted.
He also apologised for the delay in convening the maiden EXCO meeting, explaining that he had needed to conclude pressing official engagements to enable his administration to begin on a strong footing.
In his remarks, the immediate past President, Mr. Sunday Ngbede, recounted how the intervention of his Executive Committee and several distinguished old students helped prevent the collapse of the school. He pledged his full cooperation and support for the new leadership.
Other members who addressed the meeting, including Professor Hyacinth Oluma, former Patron of the Association, commended Prof. Uba for his commitment to the alumni body. They particularly praised him for allocating numerous admission opportunities to children of old students during the last admission exercise into the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, and for hosting the Executive Committee meeting.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of customised St. John’s Old Students Association bannerettes, donated by the Secretary-General, Mr. Samuel Ebo Adikwu, to Prof. Uba and the Association’s Patron, Chief Leonard Ikanyi.
The meeting was attended by current and former Executive Committee members, as well as several observer-members of the Association.
