UNIBEN ELAA ’94 Reunion: 30 years of reigniting shared memories, friendships at anniversary celebration
By Godwin Okondo
TWO post-reunion testimonies aptly summed up what everyone experienced and felt as the University of Benin, English and Literature Alumni Association Class of 1994 (Worldwide) rounded off its second reunion and 30th anniversary celebration in the serene GRA, Benin City on Saturday, August 16, 2025. A reunion like no other was how everyone adjudged it, as they returned home with loads of memories shared, with Mr. Nosa Omorodion and Mrs. Diana John-Odeh taking the words out of everyone’s mouth with their effusive outpouring of emotions inspired by the uncommon 3-day reunion.
“My dear brothers and sisters,” poet, politician and publisher of Arrowhead Reporters news platform, Omorodion, wrote on the group’s WhatsApp platform, reminiscing on the beauty of the reunion, as he commended the former leadership while urging the newly elected executive to take the association to high ground, “this reunion has truly been a wonderful and memorable experience. Though the journey here may have seemed uncertain at first, it has blossomed into something deeply rewarding. With the warm, lively, and engaging interactions we have shared, these past days have been both refreshing and impactful. It has been more than just a gathering—it has been a rekindling of bonds and an inspiration for the future. I look forward to more opportunities like this, where we can continue to nourish the ties that hold us together.
“I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the former leadership of this family union for their selfless service and creative stewardship. May they be richly rewarded with the blessings that come from sincere dedication. To the new executive, I pray for wisdom, passion, and resilience as you consolidate on the foundations already laid and continue to carry this vision forward with strength and grace.
“On a personal note, I humbly ask for forgiveness from all whom I may have offended in one way or another before this reunion, just as I have freely forgiven those who may have offended me. Let us embrace sincere reconciliation so that our unity may grow even stronger. As we now part ways after these refreshing and beautiful moments, may we carry with us the spirit of togetherness. Let us remain united in heart and vision as we pursue both our communal aspirations and our individual journeys. Thank you all, and may God bless you richly.”
Also, deaconess John-Odeh (fondly called ‘Diana Worldwide’ by her former classmates) was no less gracious with kind words about the reunion a day after, when she said, “Good Morning Friends. I woke up this morning and wished we had one or two more days to spend here. Quite frankly, I’m kind of sad that this reunion is over already. Being with people you grew up with, laughing genuinely, forgetting status, quarrelling over small things, getting worked up by some people at the elections and losing my cool (laughs), breaking protocol, dancing without reservations, taking people’s stuff and running off, and many other beautiful childlike things we did have improved my health and added to my days!”
Change pf baton as the newly inuagurated ELAA ’94 President Gloria Efemini (left) decorates her predecessor, Dr. Power Omorodion at reunion dinner
John-Odeh then lent her Christian spiritual aspect to the reunion, comparing it to the ultimate reunion of mankind at the feet of their maker, when the final trumpet shall sound, so they have opportunity to sit at His feet.
“But on a more serious note,” she continued, “it made me really, really think of something more glorious ahead. A reunion like no other. In a more beautiful and more serene place than any on earth. A place of indescribable eternal joy, peace and more. I want to be there! Imagine how many who couldn’t make it (here), but are looking at the pictures and videos and desire so desperately to be here?
“What we experienced this weekend is ‘nothing’ compared to what is coming. That great and glorious reunion with Jesus. If you have a relationship with Jesus, please keep working on it in sincerity. The sorrow of missing that reunion is eternal. This one is temporary; we have another coming up in a few years and some of us have already decided to be here. But that one (heavenly) is once and for all eternity. No second chance.
“See you at the next reunion if Jesus tarries or doesn’t call me away before then. I love all of you. ALL OF YOU!”
With the arrival of the alumni on Thursday, August 14 and dinner on Saturday, August 16, the second reunion of ELAA Class ’94 was the most memorable one out of the two they’d held so far. Already, they could’t wait for the third one which the newly elected executive, led by the former Vice President, Mrs. Gloria Efemini, and her EXCO will organise on a date yet to be set. Indeed, her acceptance speech at the dinner that ended the reunion gave a foretaste of what would come as the association is set for another journey of friendships and memories and a desire to give back to the department and university that nurtured them in their youthful days. The dinner had two of their former lecturers in attendance – Prof. Ogor Ofuani, now retired, and Prof. Emmanuel B. Adeleke, who gave the keynote address on the reunion theme ‘Unity of Purpose: Building Quality Relationships among Members’.
“Distinguished classmates, our professors, dear friends, and fellow alumni,” Efemini said, “standing before you today, I am filled with deep gratitude, humility, and immense pride as I accept the position of President of our beloved English and Literature Class of 1994 Alumni Association with a heart full of thanks and a spirit ready to serve.
“First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you for your trust, your belief, and your vote of confidence. This is not just a personal honor; it is a collective calling. A calling to nurture the legacy we began at the University of Benin three decades ago and to carry it forward with renewed purpose. Thirty years ago, we walked out of UNIBEN with heads held high, equipped not just with degrees but with resilience, vision, and enduring friendships. Today, we return not just to reminisce but to reimagine. Our reunion is a reminder that though time has passed by the bond we share is timeless.”
Efemini enumerated her vision for the association and how the department would benefit from her leadership, her team and the entire Class of 1994, saying, “As your president, I do not stand alone. I stand with a capable executive team and with everyone of you whose voice matters. Together, we will “reignite connection across our global network of classmates, support each other through structured welfare initiatives, give back meaningfully to our alma mater and the next generation, preserve our history while creating new stories worth telling and, above all, uphold the values of inclusion, transparency, and community that this association deserves.
I pledge to lead not with title but with service. Not with rhetoric, but with results. And not for applause, but for impact. So, let’s walk this next chapter together, not as scattered individuals, but as a united body. The journey ahead is bright, and I’m excited for what we will build together. Thank you once again for this privilege to serve. God bless you all, and long live the Class of ’94!”
The newly inuagurated ELAA ’94 EXCO: President, Gloria Efemini (left); Vice President, David Ajayi; National Secretary/PRO, Nosa Osagioduwa Aihevbe; National Director of socials/ Assistant Secretary, Anita Ayemoba and National Treasurer/ Financial Secretary, Isimemen Aikhenomian shortly after being sworn into office
EARLIER in the day on Saturday, election was held to fill the vacant leadership positions of the alumni association at the general meeting. Chaired by journalist and writer, Mr. Anote Ajeluorou and assisted by John-Odeh and Mr. Emmanuel Uwadehwe, as electoral committee members, Efemini, who was former vice, was elected president as well as the other executive members – David Ajayi as National Vice President, Nosa Osagioduwa Aihevbe as National Secretary/ PRO, Anita Ayemoba as National Director of socials/ Assistant Secretary and former National Secretary/PRO, Isimemen Aikhenomian as new National Treasurer/ Financial Secretary.
The second day of reunion, Friday, saw the over 30 alumni visited the Department of English and Literature and made a tour of their old lecture halls in the sprawling building that is home to Arts and Social Sciences faculties. But this was after paying a courtesy call on the Acting Head of Department, Prof. Felix Nwabueze Ogoanah, who graciously invited the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Oserhieme Benson Osadolor, to also warmly receive the old students.
An elated Prof. Ogoanah informed the Dean that the Class of ‘94 “was here in 2022 and offered us a powerful projector and laptop that help us at the Post-Graduate class. Before then we didn’t have any. Today, they’re here again; they didn’t just come to have a reunion. They came with a 9.4 KVA generator (for the department). They are very resourceful.”
Prof. Osadolor commended the former students of the university “for coming back to UNIBEN and Arts department. That is good intention in you, that UNIBEN made you better and you keep coming back. Secondly, I’m also aware that there’s a general body of English coordinating to help in terms of facilities and infrastructural upgrade to enhance teaching and research, and they brought a giant power plant some time ago. Thanks for keeping in touch with the department and university. You’ve not forgotten home. I’m happy you’re here again.”
The Dean also spoke about the forthcoming 50th anniversary celebration of the Faculty of Arts, scheduled for September 16 – 17, 2025, saying, “We are celebrating 50 years of this faculty. It was established in July 1975; so, our 50 years was last month. We are celebrating it, to tell the world that we are women and men of timber and calibre, in all the departments. We are proud of our graduates. They have not disappointed us. We take pride that you’ve not disappointed us. I strongly identify with you. We will celebrate our 50th in September. It has as theme ‘The Place of Humanities in an AI Era’ (with the keynote address scheduled to be delivered by Pdigin English expert, Prof. Francis Egbokhare of the Department of Linguistics, University of Ibadan). We will need your physical presence and financial support. It’s very thoughtful of you, the 9.4 KVA generation you have provided the department. May God reward your all!”
The former President of the alumni association (known as ELAA ’94), who teaches indigenous literature at First Nations University, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dr. Power Omorodion, said, “East or west, home is home,” noting that it was an honour to be back at the university that nurtured him and his colleagues some 30 years ago.
“My friends and I have so many books that we’d have loved to donate to the department but there’s no place to warehouse them (since NUC scraped departmental libraries),” he said. “When I came here, the need for laptops was raised, but the information was not relayed early. There’re so many laptops I would have brought if I knew early. Our university usually replaces laptops after two years’ use. We will find a way to organise this properly next time.
“We have come back to say thank you for the knowledge imparted on us. Without this department we would not be where we are today. We are open to ideas on what we could do to help both the department and faculty.”
Prof. Osadolor informed the alumni that policy flip-flop by Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) wasn’t helping matters with regards to book management by Nigerian universities. First, the commission said no department should own a library and all departmental libraries were scrapped, but it changed that policy again after two years, noting, however, that the focus was now on universities’ central libraries where all donated books are warehoused and properly marked.
Thereafter, the alumni visited their former lecture halls where they also addressed the young students. The memory was overwhelming, as they saw in the starry-eyed youngsters images of themselves 30 years ago when they sat in the same old seats to receive lectures. However, Dr. Omorodion and his colleagues were disappointed that the lecture halls had received no improvement since they left the university 30 years ago. He noted that the same cobwebs and broken fans and old seats still remained, as reminders of a broken system that lacks visionary leadership. He promised to urge the incoming leadership of the association to assist in whatever way it could to ameliorate the learning their environment.
The former Vice President and sole candidate for the position of president, Efemini, who joined her colleagues late also addressed the students and promised them that her team would work to improve things in the department. She told them that she was big on mentorship as a global leader in her organisation, and would avail of her experience, so they could be better versions of themselves. She asked them to connect with her on LinkedIn, so they could interact to allow her understand their peculiar problems and how best she could intervene. In one of the classes, the old students sat in the particular seats and rows they sat many years ago to recreate the fond memories of the lectures they received. It was particularly touching and nostalgic, as the young students looked on in awe and temporarily left their seats for the visitors, who once walked their current paths to knowledge acquisition at the higher citadel of learning.
When they left faculty they headed for the home of one of their beloved lecturers, Prof. Ofuani at the senor staff quarters. He and his beloved wife warmly received his old students and exchanged banters with about bygone era of the university, especially unionism that he played a major part in as secretary of the local Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which now seemed like a joke, as unionists were being pampered and even paid stipends, as against their glorious era when they sacrificed all to keep the system grounded in rigorous academic excellence.
Later in the evening of Friday, August 15, the alumni converged around the swimming pool of Eterno Hotels where they were lodged to fraternise, dance, eat and network. It was an evening of fun spiced with local cuisines like banga soup with fresh fish and starch, a special delicacy among Niger Delta people. Of course, there were other delicacies on offer, and everyone had a great time dancing to the golden old tunes belching from the wheels of DJ White. Mr. Anofienem was declared winner by the ladies, but Uwadehwe contested the result, declaring that the ladies were biased, as they cited his bulging tommy as a hindrance. He noted, however, that people with flat tommy like Anofienem could hardly have access to government offices, as they were assumed not to have big pockets to oil their way in! Uwadehwe’s smart riposte provoked such hilarious moments that characterised the unforgettable reunion.
UNIBEN ALAA ’94 set posing with the 9.4 KVA generator set gifted the Department of English and Literature alongside the Faculty of Arts Dean and HOD in the open faculty courtyard
Earlier on Saturday, August 16 at the general meeting where election was held to usher in another executive committee to lead the alumni association, Dr. Omorodion gave his stewardship report that spanned his reign as president from July 2021 to August 2025, as the formative period of the association, which had been uncoordinated before then. He expressed appreciation to all members of the esteemed Class of ’94 “for all your commitment, cooperation, suggestions, constructive criticism, complains and compliments”. He noted that his team tried its best “to sustain, maintain and build integrity, transparency and accountability during this tenure. EXCO can humbly assert that it has been able to better and improve the functionality and standards of the association jointly with your good-spirited efforts.”
Although Dr. Omorodion confessed to how tasking piloting the association had been, he said he would “continue to applaud and appreciate your immense support and contributions in all ramifications, especially the moral boost, voluntary financial contributions, payment of annual dues and donations. With all these multifaceted support, we have been able to surmount some welfare challenges and others successfully with tangible results.”
He then enumerated a long list of projects that his team executed and accompanying expenses on behalf of the association, with a prudent financial management that left a tidy sum in the purse for the next EXCO. Everyone praised Dr. Omorodion’s team for its prudent management of the association’s affairs in the past four years, acknowledging its exceptionally creative manner of running the association and tasked the incoming EXCO to toe similar path.
AT the dinner same evening that climaxed activities for ELAA Class of ’94, with members turning out in their resplendent, best outfits, Prof. Adeleke, who taught them as a Youth Corp member in their first year (1990/91), spoke on the theme, ‘Unity of Purpose: Building Quality Relationships’. Interestingly, Prof. Adeleke deployed both literary and biblical texts to underscore his address. According to him, ‘unity’ implies, as “a state of being joined or combined into a single entity, often for a common purpose or goal. Unity is essential in various aspects of life, including personal relationships, communities and societies because it promotes cooperation, understanding and collective progress. As contained in our definition of unity, unity of purpose is essential for building quality relationships, as it fosters a sense of shared goals and values. Unity of purpose refers to the state of being aligned and working towards a common objective or goal.”
He touched on why shared objectives or goals are important in building quality relationships, noting, “they promote cooperation, trust and mutual understanding”, illustrating it with the biblical ‘Tower of Babel’ that “describes a united human race, speaking a single language, who migrated to Shinar and decided to build a tower that would reach the heavens. Their intention must have been, apart from making a name for themselves, but, perhaps, to also wake up in the morning and shake hands with God. Now because of their unity of purpose, they were able to build this tower. It took the intervention of God to thwart their ambition. The major intervention came in the form of God confusing their language. Unable to complete the tower, the people were scattered across the earth. Metaphorically, speaking the same language in our context, means “being on the same page” as we often put it. From this illustration, it becomes clear that effective communication is critical in building and maintaining unity of purpose as it ensures that all parties are aligned and working towards the same goal.
“There is no man that has a complete repository of knowledge. In other words, there is no Mr. or Mrs. know-it-all! Therefore, active discussion and listening are essential skills for building quality relationships. Especially, active listening is essential because it demonstrates a genuine interest in others and helps to foster unity of purpose. Judging by the success of this reunion, I believe you met, discussed and listened to all canvassed opinions and views before arriving at a consensus. This is the way it should be because, this way, you will always achieve your set objectives.”
Professor Adeleke deployed William Blake’s poem ‘The poisoned Tree’ to illustrate how ‘Unity of purpose also enhances conflict resolution and mutual support’, saying, “The message poetically painted here is a poignant reminder that unresolved conflicts may have dire consequences and, in some cases, disastrous outcomes. It is absolutely necessary to nip conflicts in the bud and where they manage to grow, they must be uprooted as soon as discovered. When people offend/hurt us, let us not keep quiet. Let us tell them. Sometimes, the offender has no idea that s/he has committed an offence. Let the offended speak up. The first case in Blakes’s poem quoted above resulted in resolution while the second resulted in death. Interestingly, the persona in both cases is the same person. Building quality relationships via shared goals also involves admitting when we are wrong. A simple “I am sorry” may work the magic. But some of us trivialise issues and unknowingly trifle with others emotions. Let us return to the first two lines of the poem: ‘I was angry with my friend,/ I told my wrath, my wrath did end.’”
The university don also stressed “the need for mutual support”, adding that “Mutual support is a key aspect of quality relationships and unity of purpose engenders a sense of cooperation and team work. Much as we desire it, we are not all equally endowed or blessed by God. It is a fact that some may have more than others. It is difficult for someone who is not a member of this Class to know who has given what. This is the way it should be. An example of a community where everybody supported everybody is described in Acts of the Apostles 2:44-45: ‘And all that believed were together, and had all things in common/ And sold their possessions and goods/ and parted them to all men, as every man had need.’
He also spoke about ‘empathy and understanding’, as vital elements associated with ‘unity of purpose’, saying, “they promote a sense of connection and shared humanity. When we take time to truly listen to and understand others, we create a safe and supportive environment that fosters trust, connection and mutual respect. Empathy allows us to see things from another person’s perspective, to understand their thoughts, feelings and experiences and are able to respond in a way that is compassionate and validating. When we practice empathy and understanding, we open ourselves up to deeper and more meaningful connections with others. By prioritising empathy and understanding in our relationships, we can build stronger, more resilient bonds with others and create a more compassionate and supportive community.”
Prof. Adeleke concluded by reiterating “that unity of purpose is essential for building quality relationships and it requires effort, commitment and a willingness to work together towards achieving a common goal.”
Then Vice President Gloria Efemini (left); Patience Patience Babasanmi; Ngozi Ohiaeriaku; Piamaria Olisa; Anote Ajeluorou and Vivian Iwebo at VisitEdo Art Gallery, Benin City
WHILE expressing his goodwill message, Prof. Ofuani commended ELAA Class ’94 for always remembering to call on him, especially the former President Dr. Omorodion. He said of all the sets that had passed through the department, only the sets of 1992, 1994 and 1996 were more organised and returned to the department, but noted that the alumni set of 1994 was the best among them, with its avowed desire to give back. He enjoined the Class of ’94 to keep up the good work.
Other highlights of the reunion dinner event included a tour to Visitedo Art Gallery at the heart of Benin City, the swearing in of the newly elected EXCO, a task that was performed by the Electoral Committee Chairman, Mr. Ajeluorou, the cutting of the anniversary cake, and dance. A 4-woman Edo cultural troupe, Edorisiagbon Theatre Troupe, thrilled the alumni with its peculiarly sonorous Edo songs that touched the core of being. Also, Mr. Ajeluorou serenaded his colleagues with his poetic piece ‘Libations for Africa’ from his poetry collection of the same title. But he gently chastised the outgone EXCO for making their two reunions bereft of any literary content, saying that any outside guest in the hall would probably not believe it wasn’t an engineering or science alumni association’s reunion. He said some of the alumni studied English and Literature so they could write, and that there were some published writers at the reunion, such as Mr. (Nosa) Omorodion (mostly poetry), Michael Ipogah (a school principal, mostly poetry and English language texts), Joseph Nwamara (mostly playwright) and himself (who writes across genres), who could have exhibited their creative works for their colleagues to see and patronise, but were denied such opportunity. He then enjoined the newly inaugurated EXCO to toe a different path in subsequent reunions with the exhibition of an abundance, rich literary content among them.
The goodbyes the next day, Sunday, August 17 were hard to say but had to be said amidst hugs and good wishes and prayers of safety, as everyone began to leave for their respective places of abode after what had been a glorious reunion that would be spoken about in a long time, with its emotional echoes rippling on like the waves of an ocean.
