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No matter what, I’ll always be a Blue Angel

ANTHONY WAGAMBIE JNR
| Academia Nomad

Anthony Wagambie Jr

Anthony Wagambie Jnr is well known as a corruption fighter and one of the most respected police officers in Papua New Guinea.  Following the 10 January riots he was one of a number of senior police officers who were demoted and transferred, in his case from the Port Moresby to Bougainville as Deputy Commander.  There was an immediate wave of support for Wagambie throughout the country.  In response Wagambie wrote this reflection on his commitment to policing....

__________

BUKA - I grew up as a son of a police officer. I am the first born son of Anthony Wagambie Snr. He was then an Inspector of Police based in Lae and my mum, Mrs Elizabeth Wagambie nee Saun was a paediatric nurse at Angau Hospital.

Our first home was at Salamanda Flats, Lae, where we shared with former Commissioner of Police and my uncle, Peter Aigilo.  Uncle Peter was a young Sub Inspector of Police at that time.

Anyway, when I was born my dad named me after him, so that's why I am Anthony Wagambie Jnr. My dad always said I would be a policeman just like him.

When I was a baby, he always put his officer's peak cap on my head and brainwashed me by saying "He will be a policeman just like me and his bubuman".

Both my grandfathers were retired policemen. My dad's father was a First Constable and my mum's father was a Senior Sergeant, both were World War II veterans.

So I grew up always thinking and knowing that I would be a cop one day.

My parent's albums are full of childhood photographs of me dressing up as a policeman, especially a Riot Squad officer (today it’s the Mobile Squad) - dad's peak cap on my head, track suit tucked into gum boots and carrying a water gun.

I grew up always wanting to be around police. In those days the police were well disciplined by way of dress and attitude. They were respected by the community. I always envied them and wanted to be just like those cops.

There was turning point in my life which cemented everything. I was in Grade 11 at Divine Word Institute, which is now Divine Word University. I was returning to school after holidays in Lae and there was a bridge that had collapsed due to heavy rain.

So my parents decided to fly me back to school. This was in 1993 and Air Niugini had a route which came from Port Moresby to Nadzab and on to Madang.

I got on that flight and we were off to Madang. There were other schoolmates on the flight, mostly girls except for me and another boy. We arrived late in the afternoon. In those days there were no mobile phones and we depended on public pay phones.

To make matters worse, the school truck did not arrive to pick us up. We had not been told that the previous weekend there had been a fight between our Diwai Soccer team and a team from the surrounding Airport Community.

We had just landed in hot water.

The kids from the soccer team somehow learnt that Diwai students had arrived and were stranded at the terminal. They had planned to attack students coming back from holidays.

This was the last flight and the aircraft had departed.

All of a sudden we realised that the young men from the community were starting to block the gate to the terminal.

For the first time in my life I felt the fear of being attacked. I felt hopeless and helpless, thinking of how I would defend the girls. To be frank, for the first time in my life I was scared of losing my life.

I was brought up in a home of feeling protected because my dad was a senior police officer. This was the first time I felt real fear. All I wanted was for my dad to come rescue us.

The place had started to get dark and the feeling of danger was greater.

Then we saw it, out of the darkness a Police 15-seater bus came speeding up the road with its blue lights on. When the thugs saw this they ran in all directions.

The mere sight of police brought instant relief. Thank God we were safe. The Blue Angel had arrived.

When the bus pulled up, it contained only one very old policeman with no gun and Mrs Kalasim, the wife of then Madang provincial police commander, Robert Kalasim (now retired).

They had come to the Airport to check on a relative and had sensed something was wrong when they saw the crowd at the gate. The old copper put on the blue lights which chased the thugs away. That blue light made me feel safe.

The girls shed tears of joy.

I was so taken aback by what the presence of a police vehicle could do. A police vehicle with one old policeman with no gun. He became my instant hero, my lifesaver.

At that point in time, I made up my mind. I said to myself, "That's it, I want to be like that, I want to make people feel safe, I want to make a difference!".

So family, I want to make a point.

I am not envious of the top job, I am happy doing what I set out to do, that is trying my best to make my community safe. As long as everyone feels safe, then I am satisfied.

People who know me well, know that I do not rest until a problem is solved, until strategies to ensure a safer community is in place.

It gives me that satisfaction to see men, women and children move about freely and feeling safe. For them to know that police are close by to help when they it is needed and for everyone to feel secure.

When this happens, I know that my boys and girls in blue have done their job. Money cannot buy that happiness and sense of achievement.

Everything comes in God's timing. He will determine everything. God uses humans as an instrument to do as His Will on Earth. He will determine how and when.

I devote my life to serving and leading men and women under my charge, so that they too can become Blue Angels.

God Bless you all, and thank you for reading.

Comments

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Lindsay F Bond

And thank you too, Anthony. Make people feel safe is a most worthy devotion. Upon that intention is the 'rest' of humanity.

Henry Sims

Being an honest cop got you promoted out of the way so that evil can continue.

This is common anywhere in the world where the bad rise to the top and choke-off the good below them.

Do not be sorry, but do what is good whatever position you hold.

Maybe your God will notice and reward you in this life.

Be careful, as the devil is amongst those who outrank you.

We note this from afar.

Harapura

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