POLICE COURSE 21 AT 20: OFFICERS GLOW AND GLEE, LAUDS PRES. BUHARI, IGP ALKALI; CHARGES NIGERIANS ‘TO WORK WITH THE POLICE’
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Members of Cadet ASP Course 21/2002 during a Peace Walk to Mark their 20 Years Anniversary on GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
It is a fitting celebration for the officers of the Nigeria Police Course 21 as they commenced the activities marking the 20th anniversary of their enlistment yesterday. The officers who started the journey of service of the fatherland in August 15th, 2002 kicked off the 2-day celebraton with a Peace Walk from the Police College along some streets of Ikeja. The celebration is expected to continue today with a Lecture and Dinner/Award night, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
Addressing pressmen at the start of the Peace Walk, the Chairman of the 20th anniversary organizing committee, ACP Sanusi Jadda shared: ‘By the grace of God we are 20 years today. It’s been 20 years since we all started together precisely on 15th August 2002. Today we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of my course – Course 21, 2002 – we are officially starting a 2-day celebration with a peace walk. Lectures and dinner/award night will hold tomorrow.’
On the reason for the anniversary celebration, ‘It will be hard for us to meet together this way again that is why we are meeting now because in the next few years, some will be retiring so we hold this 20th anniversary very dear. This celebration comprises all of us from the whole nation. We have come this far and we have achieved a lot toward crime prevention in Nigeria knowing fully well the challenge been faced by the Police. The activities for the celebraton was graciously approved by the IGP Usman Alkali Baba and we give gratitude to him’, Trek Africa Newspaper gathered.
Chairman, Anniversary Planning Committee, ACP Sanusi Jidda (2nd left) and other members of Course 21/2002.
ACP Jadda added: ‘We are taking home from this celebration brotherhood, togetherness, unity and a whole lot of things that is still binding us together. The regret for us is that we have lost some of us that we started together to the cold hands of death. It would have been more than this if they were all alive. We have been supporting the families of the departed ones in our little ways and we hope to continue at the end of this 20th anniversary.’
‘I will advise the younger ones to persevere, be disciplined, obedient to all laws guiding the Police, and hope to also come this far. They should ensure they put in their best. I wish them well’, he advised members of the younger Courses.
On how it’s been for them since 2002 especially as women, the Secretary of the anniversary organizing Committee, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi said: ‘In the Nigerian Police, there is no gender discrimination. From the day we were enlisted, females are not separated, we go through the same arms traning and so on. There is no discrimination.
In Lagos, we have almost the same ration of female and male DPOs. This is good news for every girl child to see us as models and that they can achieve their dreams. We do Commander work, we have female CPs, AIGs, DIGs so there is no discrimination and we are not limited by the kind of tasks that can be assigned to us.’
‘It is a fact that there must be mental trauma associated with this kind of job because everyday what you hear from people is bad news when they come to the station and they always bring problems. So when you wake up and you are loaded with such news daily and you have the challenge to be the solution provider, you will be affected but what keeps us going is that from Day 1, we have been trained to be there for others.
With the leadership and mentoring we have on the job, it has helped us. There is the Force Medical section where officers going through trauma can go and they talk to counselors and doctors. Most importantly, the leadership of the Police have given order for supervisors to keep watch on their junior ones so that what we won’t have cases of occupational trauma’, she told Trek Africa Newspaper.
Okuwobi used the opportunity to thank the government, ‘I will want to thank the Commander in Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari that he first started with Police reforms and we all can see the changes. Then with the appointment of our current IGP, you can see that the reforms are such that everyone is shaping in and those who can’t meet up are shaping out. You can see that those who are misbehaving are being thrown out. The IGP is not going by public emotions he wants the Police to be the best. Only the best can join the Police. If you are not the best, don’t join. It is a matter of time. As we have changes going on in the Police, I advise members of the public to flow with the tide of change. That is why the theme for this celebration is ‘Celebrating 20 Years of Advancing Friendly Policing And Public Safety in Contemporary Nigeria… Work with the Police.’
L-R: ACP Taiwo Kasumu; CSP Titilayo Oriyomi; ACP Titus Ayodeji and CSP Faruq Raheem
Reflecting, the OC, Zonal Intelligence Bureau, Zone 2 Lagos, CSP Veronica Ameh Akpa noted: ‘As women, we have held our own and you are all witnesses to that as we have held sensitive positions. So we are equal to the task. 20 years down the line, we are doing well.’
‘One of the greatest challenges we have is the loss of some of our colleagues. We started with about 400plus and we have lost about 40. Some died while doing the job and it is very disheartening’, she regretted.
On how the female Police officers have managed their careers and family life, Akpa said: ‘It’s been very tough handling the family with the Police job but our children and husband support us. And with their support, we have made it so far. The number of women in Police has improved greatly. Emphasis is on women. I dream of having a female IGP and I believe Course 21 will make it.’
ACP Hakeem Ajasa (2nd right); ACP Taiwo Kasumu (3rd right- behind); CSP Oyin Francess (right); CSP Tokunbo Abaniwonda (m); CSP Bunmi Apapa (2nd left- behind) and CSP Margaret Okonkwo (left). 
Secretary, Anniversary Planning Committee, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi (m)
CSP Mailafia Yakubu 
L-R: CSP Bunmi Apapa; ACP Taiwo Kasumu and others
CSP Shittu .S. Bolanle
L-R: CSP Olabisi Okuwobi; CSP Margaret Okonkwo; CSP Uduak Edet; CSP Veronica Ameh Akpa; CSP Tokunbo Abaniwonda and others
CSP Amodu Nurudeen (m)
