Ace Channels TV reporter Pius Angbo’s return to the Akweya students’ association highlights the importance of alumni engagement, as dignitaries urge graduates to embrace integrity, skills acquisition and lifelong learning.
Twenty-two years after he last attended a gathering of the National Association of Akweya Students (NAAS), a celebrated Channels TV reporter, Mr. Pius Angbo, returned to reconnect with the association he helped establish, turning a university send-forth ceremony into a moment of reflection on cultural identity, alumni engagement and the responsibilities of graduates. The event took place on Saturday, 17th of October 2026 at the Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi (MOAUM), formerly known as Benue State University (BSU).
Angbo disclosed that his set pioneered the establishment of NAAS at the then Benue State University. He said the invitation to the association’s Final Year Students (FYB) Send-Forth Ceremony was his first to a NAAS gathering in 22 years. “I’m so delighted to be reunited with my home,” Angbo told the gathering.
His return offered more than a reunion with his successors. It highlighted the potential of student associations to preserve institutional memory, strengthen intergenerational relationships and connect younger members with the experience and resources of established alumni.
Commending the NAAS leadership for organising the event, Angbo urged the graduating students to approach their future with dedication, humility, discipline and integrity. Drawing from his personal experiences, he encouraged them: “remain focused on your ambitions and strive to make meaningful contributions to your communities.”
He told the students that they could achieve even greater success than he had if they remained committed, diligent and hardworking.
Angbo also cautioned against the pursuit of wealth through fraud, stealing and other unlawful activities, stressing that modest but legitimate work was preferable to dishonest means of achieving success.
Beyond his words of encouragement, Angbo conveyed a message from his brother, the legislator representing Otukpo/Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Kennedy Angbo. Pius reported that his brother pledged to become more actively involved in NAAS activities, urging the association’s leadership to reach out whenever support was needed.
The commitment points to an opportunity for the association to build a stronger alumni network capable of providing mentorship, career guidance and practical support to students beyond occasional social gatherings.
Graduates urged to look beyond certificates
Angbo’s emphasis on integrity and hard work resonated with a broader message delivered by other dignitaries: that university education, while important, must be complemented by practical skills, continuous learning and purposeful planning.
The Councillor representing Allan, one of the two wards in Akweya land, Hon. Friday Idega, encouraged the graduating students to invest in personal development and skills acquisition, noting that success required more than academic qualifications. He also offered prayers for the graduates and the association, while contributing to the success of the ceremony.
Similarly, Idega’s predecessor as Allan Ward Councillor, Hon. Frank Ogbole Odeeh, urged the students to remain focused on their goals, take their future seriously and prepare for the opportunities and responsibilities that await them after university.
A young medical doctor of Akweya origin, who graduated recently from the Ahmadu Bello University, Dr. Elvi Odengle, provided a practical example of the value of professional versatility. While expressing delight at seeing a large gathering of people who spoke her native Akweya language, she encouraged the graduates to develop competencies beyond their primary academic disciplines.
Odengle, whose father is an acclaimed medical doctor featured in the forthcoming 100 Most Influential Akweya compendium, disclosed that, although she was a medical doctor, she was also a product designer who had undertaken national and international assignments.
Her experience illustrated how additional skills can expand professional opportunities and enable individuals to work across different fields. She urged the graduates to invest in themselves and prepare adequately so that they could take advantage of opportunities when they emerged.
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The National President of NAAS, Comrade Nathaniel Odah Odah, reinforced the message by urging the graduates to establish clear priorities, use their time wisely and make purposeful decisions. He emphasised personal development and the need for deliberate planning as they transitioned from university into wider society.
For NAAS, the longer-term value of this cultural connection will depend on its ability to translate solidarity into practical opportunities for members.
Collectively, the speakers challenged the graduates to view their degrees as a foundation for further growth rather than the final measure of their capabilities.
Cultural identity and the power of alumni networks
The ceremony also demonstrated the role of cultural associations in sustaining a sense of belonging among students and connecting them to their communities.
Odengle’s appreciation of the gathering of Akweya-language speakers reflected the social value of spaces where members can celebrate their shared heritage while exchanging ideas about education, professional advancement and community development.
For NAAS, however, the longer-term value of this cultural connection will depend on its ability to translate solidarity into practical opportunities for members.
Angbo’s return after more than two decades illustrates the importance of maintaining relationships with former members who have accumulated professional experience, networks and resources. His pledge to increase his involvement in the association provides a potential starting point for a more structured alumni engagement programme.
Such a programme could include mentorship, career talks, internship placements, skills-development initiatives and networking opportunities to help students navigate the transition from university to employment or entrepreneurship.
The association could also establish regular communication with alumni to ensure that the relationships renewed at the ceremony remain active long after the event.
Certificates mark a transition, not an end
The presentation of certificates to the graduating students recognised their successful completion of university studies and marked their transition into the next phase of their lives.
In his remarks, NAAS President, Comrade Eche Johnson Fred, expressed appreciation to the dignitaries and invited guests for honouring the association’s invitation and supporting the ceremony financially and otherwise.
“I thank you for encouraging us, and supporting us with your prayers and advice,” Eche said, urging the graduating students to take the messages seriously and apply them in their lives beyond the university.
“Hard work, humility, integrity, skills acquisition and continuous personal development are essential qualities for graduates seeking to make meaningful contributions to their families, communities and society,” Johnson Fred emphasised.
He also reaffirmed the importance of unity and sustained cooperation among the association’s leadership, alumni and members.
Turning goodwill into lasting impact
The significance of the ceremony will ultimately be measured not only by the graduates celebrated or the dignitaries honoured, but also by the relationships and opportunities the event helps sustain.
Angbo’s return after 22 years offers NAAS a reminder that alumni connections can endure even after long periods of separation. His willingness to renew his involvement, alongside the contributions and advice of other guests, presents an opportunity to build a more sustainable support system for future generations of Akweya students.
Angbo’s return after more than two decades illustrates the importance of maintaining relationships with former members who have accumulated professional experience, networks and resources.
Institutionalising alumni engagement, expanding access to practical skills and creating mentorship opportunities would help translate the goodwill expressed at the ceremony into tangible benefits.
For the graduating students, the challenge is to turn the advice they received into action by pursuing legitimate opportunities, continuing to learn and using their education to contribute to society.
For NAAS, the challenge is to ensure that the reunion becomes more than a memorable occasion: it should serve as a foundation for stronger intergenerational relationships and sustained investment in the future of Akweya students.
Ultimately, the send-forth ceremony celebrated academic achievement while reaffirming a wider principle: education becomes more valuable when individual advancement is supported by community, integrity and a lasting commitment to collective progress.
