At SOBA’s elective general assembly, Saturday, November 7, 2020, Ayuk Iyok was elected by a whopping 207 votes out of 255 ballots cast. His challenger, Barrister Sichui Kameni John barely garnered 48 votes.

In his acceptance speech, he promised, like during the campaigns, to unite SOBA and put into good use his wealth of experience and connections to give Sasse College a facelift in the nearest future.

In his unassuming nature, Ayuk Iyok said he should not be judged based on the standards set by past presidents who were Colonels, professors, lawyers, etc. given that he is only “a mere bookseller in Limbe”.

He committed to creating a group of mentors from varied walks of life to allow for young SOBANS to tap from the experiences of their predecessors.

“Our priority project will be the tarring of the stretch from the main gate of Sasse College to the main campus,” Ayuk Iyok said in his acceptance statement, adding that they will go the extra mile to attend to the infrastructural development needs of Sasse College.

He promised to leverage his SOBA leadership experience to make the alumni association stay afloat.

Ayuk Iyok started by being the Vice President of the Organising Committee of the 75th anniversary of Sasse College. From there, he became Vice President of SOBA National. When things were so bad in the socio-political situation in the North West and South West, everybody in the Sasse PTA executive left, but Ayuk Iyok, as PTA president, was the only one who was there to manage the situation at that time.

“There are basically two things I want to do, every other thing is on the two things. One, to re-energize the association and bring on board many young people. Many young people do not understand the world; we have to make them understand that the elders have experience and wisdom and the young generally have enthusiasm...such qualities when combined easily paves the way for development,” said the new President-General of SOBA. “So we have to encourage young people to become members. By coming to meetings, they will meet older SOBANs who can mentor them in different areas of life, because that is what is missing in young people - mentorship. A lot of them want to run, hurry, and sometimes fall on the way. So that mentorship between the old and the young will make everyone in the association develop.”

Aside from the post of president general, there was a fierce contest for the office of SOBA National Treasurer and that of Public Relations Officer II.

Walter Wilson Nana floored Elume Raymond by 151 votes to 86 to grab the office of Public Relations Officer II while the Ebob-Kang battle for the post of Treasurer ended in favor of the former. Ebob secured 195 votes, while Kang could only squeeze out 61.

The others who stood unopposed got over two-thirds of validly cast votes in their favor. The SOBA elective General Assembly chaired by Professor Julius Oben had no fewer than 256 persons in attendance.  The outcome was the election of the following:

President General – Ayuk Iyok

Vice President General Littoral – Ayuk Akoachere Eric

Vice President General South-West – Dr. Kenneth Foncha

Vice President General Centre – Ebot Mfortaw

Secretary-General – Kebei Eugene Kah

Assistant Secretary-General – Ateba Linus

Treasurer – Dr. Ebob Eta Kwame

Financial Secretary – Desmond Njiki Njotsa

Public Relations Officer I – Eselem Edwin

Public Relations Officer II – Nana Walter Wilson

Although the General Assembly opened with holy mass, the electioneering tensions reached palpitating proportions. However, in the end, the electoral commission headed by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Epie was praised for organizing free, fair, transparent, and acceptable elections.

Standing ovation for Prof. Ephraim Ngwafor

Professor Ephraim Ngwafor, SOBA president general from August 10, 2013, to November 7, 2020, stole the show at Saturday’s elective general assembly.

In a moving and rousing speech that received deafening plaudits, Prof. Ngwafor rolled out a report of his stewardship as SOBA president general.

It was under the Ngwafor administration that the SOBA Logo was registered at the World Intellectual Property Organization.

In 2016, the Sasse Old Boys Association Cooperative Credit Union Limited, SOBACCUL was birthed under the leadership of Prof. Ngwafor.

The eminent professor of law announced on Saturday that SOBACCUL is now a category two microfinance institution.  Although not reserved for SOBAns only, Prof. Ngwafor urged SOBAns to adhere to the initiative and take ownership.

When a form five student stabbed to death a lower sixth student at Saint Joseph’s College Sasse on Sunday, November 17, 2013, it was a baptism of fire for the Ngwafor administration. The professor told his peers how the situation was managed as well as other personal initiatives he took in the course of his mandates.

Ayuk Iyok had confirmed that past presidents of SOBA have been putting their personal monies in the service of the association, a revelation that was visible in Ngwafor’s stewardship account.

And as Prof. Ngwafor left the rostrum, he handed over a check of FCFA 1 million to the new exco. His farewell speech gained a standing ovation even from his detractors.