Some Officers of the Nigerian Police Force under the Cadet ASP Course 21 who graduated in 2002 converged in Lagos on Friday 19th August 2022 and Saturday 20th August 2022 to celebrate 20 years Anniversary, with the theme: Celebrating 20 Years of Advancing Friendly Policing and Public Safety In Contemporary Nigeria…
The celebration started with a Road walk, as part of activities marking their 20th anniversary in service. It was a hugely successful event.
The anniversary ceremony which was carefully planned was held for 2 days. Friday 19th August 2022 was set aside for the Road walk to serve as a means of creating awareness for the anniversary.
And Saturday 20th August was set aside for the main event held at Radisson Blu in Ikeja GRA, Lagos State. Activities marking the celebration included lectures, dinner parties and award night.
The Cadet ASP Course 21 is made up of quite a number of brilliant officers across the country who have successfully paid their dues in the task of maintaining Law and Order in the land. It’s 20 years of having graduated. They were all looking vibrant. Many of them have laurels of achievement in their course of service. They are also doing great in their respective positions of authority.
Speaking to the Press about the anniversary ceremony, the Chairman of the Anniversary’s Steering Committee, ACP Sanusi Jidda recalled when they started together on the 15th of August, 2002, precisely 20 years ago.
He said: “It would be hard for us all to meet the way we were meeting now because in the next few years to come, a lot would be retired and a lot must have left the service. So marking our 20th Anniversary is what we hold very dear for knowing that we might not be meeting like this again.” He added by saying: “The gathering comprised all our course mates from the whole nation. The 20th anniversary was graciously approved by the Inspector General of Police. We are grateful to him.” He said his coursemates have achieved a lot in crime prevention in Nigerian society, knowing-fully well the challenges being faced by the Nigerian Police.
Speaking on their greatest regrets of the day, he said: “And the regret is that a whole lot of us that have started this journey together, we have lost about 44 to the cold hands of death. If they were alive today, I feel the fun here would have been more than what we are experiencing today.”
The large turnout of the Cadet ASP Course 21 officers that came around for the occasion spoke volumes of how they all held the anniversary with so much esteem. Many of them travelled from their different stations to take part in the symbolic road walk exercise.
They had a long, but exciting walk, which took them about 2 hours, as they were accompanied by a brigade band which supplied them with lots of melodic sounds to keep them refreshed along the road. The road walk began from the prestigious Police College, in Ikeja. They walked through quite a number of streets in Ikeja GRA to arrive at the Ikeja under bridge Bus Stop. They, therefore, headed back to the College where they had about 5 minutes of light exercise to calm their nerves after the long walk. On completing the activities for the day, they all took time to rest, had a light breakfast after which they left to prepare for the anniversary ceremony that was held the next day.
They all had a nice time out, looking bright and extremely happy to meet again and celebrate after 20 years of joining the Police Force. They embraced each other and took time to remember the good old times they spent together at the training back then. They have now turned great officers who are trailblazers in the service.
The event was well planned. The Event Planning Committee had ACP Sanusi Jidda, as Chairman, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi as Secretary and CSP Shola Oladele in charge of Admin. Also actively involved in the planning were the following Cadet ASP Course 21 members like ACP Isiani. O. Hope, ACP Ajasa Hakeem, CSP Ayuba Suleiman Markafi, CSP Odulami Mohammed, ACP Udu Moses Ogechi, CSP Veronica Ameh-Akpa, CSP Emeka Ubani, CSP Abdullahi Bello, CSP Tarfa Marcus Micheal, CSP Chima Nnaji Agha, CSP Benedicta Obinyan, ACP Patrick Johnson, CSP Fisayo Ishola (rtd), CSP Aliya Jega, CSP Tokunbo Abaniwonda, CSP Yinka Egbeyemi, CSP Zainab Tifi Bello, CSP Uduak Edet, CSP Ewere Okundaye, CSP Callions, Erogun, CSP Abdulmajid Isah and CSP Robinson Otaesiri.
The Dinner & Anniversary Lecture Programme on Saturday 20th August 2022 were an exciting event. It was at the dinner party that a documentary of Cadet ASP Course 21/2002 was shown and the cutting of the anniversary Cake was done. Members also danced.
And at the Anniversary Lecture, 3 lectures were delivered. The 1st Lecture was on Advancing friendly Policing & Public Safety in Contemporary Nigeria…Walk with the Police, the 2nd was on Pre-Retirement Plans and Living Happily Ever After Retirement and the 3rd Lecture was on Safe, Healthy & Sustainable Diets/Lifestyle For Police Officers Above 40 years.
ACP Sanusi Jidda, the Chairman, Organising & Planning Committee Cadet ASP Course 21/2002 20th Anniversary Celebration revealed a lot about how their paths crossed.
“The journey to this day all started on the 15th day of August 2002. Four Hundred and Seventy-Five (475) able-bodied young men and women from different socio-cultural backgrounds assembled for National Service at the prestigious Nigeria Police /Academy, Wudil, Kano for Eighteen (18) months of training. There, an everlasting bond was set to cast, and I make bold to say that the frame is still waxing stronger and stronger by the day.”
“(2) Training was an awesome bitter-sweet experience with many high and low moments. I still recall with nostalgia “attention by number,” “attention in-judging- the-time” moments where legs wobbled and elicited lots of laughter and fun from amongst us. Combat craft was yet another weird moment, where we were advanced to “Russia” and to “Lagos”. “Baptism” day was another memory that just won’t go away. The muster parade and tattoo parade whistle blasts and chants that remained weeks and
months after we had all passed out and gone home to rest. The search for S1320 in Sherre Hills, the joys, the hazards and the uniqueness of our struggle to become career officers in the Nigeria Police Force is enormous; all these were defining moments where some almost gave up and threw in the towel. At this stage, nicknames were forged to last a lifetime. I still remember White Lion, FBI, Mallam Wudil, IGP, Jolly Papa, Obeh, Tafa, O/C Sabbatical, Rambo and the late Chairman Ewi Samuel to mention but a few. It was here that friendships of a lifetime were formed and our collective brotherhood became solid; which still lingers on. We are indeed thankful to God Almighty for his protection and guidance now and always.”
“(3) At the onset, Four Hundred and Seventy-Five (475) of us commenced training on that faithful day, today Forty- Four (44) of those with whom we started this great journey are deceased; while some have bowed out to pursue other dreams and endeavours, others retired; a reality we must all face with time.”
“My brothers and sisters, it has been Twenty (20) long, tedious, and challenging years thus far. When we started this journey in August 2002; never did we envisage that this reality check will be full of all kinds of bumps, obstacles, joyful, and frustrating moments that we had to face at different trying times of our careers. Thank God for brotherhood, formed in 2002, we have had shoulders to lean on, and comrades with whom to celebrate our joyful moments. Glory and Honour to the Almighty One who has made this possible.”
“(5) Our resolve to serve our Fatherland 20 years ago still subsists till today. I will like to use this medium to assure the Inspector General of Police, Force Management Team and fellow Nigerians that in line with the IGP’s rigorous stance in advancing friendly policing and public Safety in contemporary Nigeria, we have resolved to be more loyal and dedicated to our service to the nation.”
(6) I will like to appreciate the government of our dear country that gave us the rare opportunity to serve our fatherland. May I specially appreciate the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammad Buhari, GCFR, for steadily reforming the Nigeria Police Force through the leadership of our Inspector General of Police?
(7) I cannot end my remarks without appreciating the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Saba Alkali Usman psc(+), NPM and his Management team for graciously giving approval for the hosting of this epoch event. Thank you, sir, we pledge our unalloyed loyalty to you.”
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