HISTORY OF ARMY DAY SECONDARY SCHOOL EFFURUN

Our Alma Mater, The Army Day Secondary School Effurun (ADSSE) located in Delta State of Nigeria was founded in 1986. Initially, the name of the school was Command Day Secondary School (CDSS) Effurun until this name was changed about 2-3 years after inception. The pioneer principal of the school, Mrs Esther Ozako, an astute administrator par excellence. Academic activities started immediately at inception during the 1986/1987 academic year with JSS One enrollment only.

The school was started at within the Effurun Army barracks vicinity using facilities made available by the Army authorities under the then Lt Col Ishaya Anche who was then Commanding Officer of the 20 Battalion of the Nigerian Army. This facility which is still in use today by the school. Under the leadership and direction of the pioneer principal, with the support of the Army authorities and an active Parents/Teachers Association (PTA) the quest to build a permanent site on a parcel of land donated by the Army authorities started in the later end of 1986. During that time, the pioneer students, supervised by committed teachers will get into the forest around the barracks area to move sawn logs to the permanent site for the erection of the school. The initial three classroom blocks at the permanent site which still stands till date was achieved through self-help by the school authorities, students, the PTA and Army authorities. graduation of it’s very first set.

As at today, the ADSS Effurun has graduated over 34 sets (1992 to 2025) and these sets has been in existence for about 34 years as treasured Alumni of ADSSE. Graduands of the ADSS Effurun are spread across the globe and have achieved great feats in their chosen careers in medicine, engineering, sports, entertainment, media, and politics. The journey of 34years so far for the ADSS Effurun has been that of excellence, achievement and pacesetting in all respect.

THE HISTORY OF ADSSEOSA “Our Journey Together”

Army Day Secondary School Effurun Old Students Association (ADSSEOSA) is the umbrella body of all ex-students of Army Day Secondary School Effurun (ADSSE). The Origin of ADSSEOSA can be traced back to the various efforts of early sets 1992 to 1996) who deliberately met in various informal gatherings after year of graduation to celebrate life and talk about their future together. On record, the first alumni réunion meeting of old students of ADSSE took place in 1998 at the Prestigious PTI conference center in 1998. This réunion was organized by set 1995 and has members of other sets like 1993, 1994 and 1996 in attendance. This réunion featured two upcoming with time, support started coming in from corporate firms like the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the defunct Bendel State Government in the form of furniture’s and workshop equipment respectively. By 1992, the school achieved a major milestone with the ADSSEOSA GRG 2025 comedians at that time, I go Die and I go Save of DBS TV (Mock news show).

In 1999, a general consensus was reached to start an alumni of ADSSE old students. The name Army Day Old Students Association (ADOSA) was GENERAL REUNION GATHERING GRG | 5 endorsed and a team was sent to ADSS to introduce this Association to our Alma mater. This project was aborted in 2000 because most of the proponents of this project got busy and decided to focus on their university Education. In year 2006, members of set 2003 who have been meeting as a set annually since year of graduation decided to form an umbrella body that will cut across all sets. In 2007, they adopted the name Army Day Ex-Student Association (ADESA) and had a réunion inside the Petroleum Training Institute Recreation Hall (By the swimming pool) and had the set 2002 head boy (Aghogho Avanoma) and some members of set 2002 were in attendance. In December 2008, they hosted a seemingly general réunion at Oru Standard Hotel. This well publicized event was attended by some members of set 2004, 2002, 2001 and a member from set 2000. Christian Isueken was elected unopposed as the President of ADESA. All efforts to carry every other remaining sets along, especially the older sets, to join ADESA project was not successful at the time and project ADESA was stalled in 2010.

Set 2003 later created their WhatsApp platform as a set in June 29th 2017 by Mr. Esiekpe Dennis. Notably, Set 2001 has been informally active on Facebook since 2011 and they created their set WhatsApp platform in November 19th 2016 by Mr. Stanley Ohore. There are ADSSEOSA AGM 2019. The then Chairman of the Class of 1992, Mr Oghomwen Iyobosa Jude mandated Mrs. Igho Coker to drive the process that consequently resulted in the formal registration of the association with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria CAC. In 2018 The pioneer set reach out to key stakeholders in other sets and sensitize them about the association and seek their cooperation and support.

The clarion call was heard and obeyed. The needed support and commitment from some key stakeholders of 1993 and 1994 sets was obtained. With three graduating sets onboard, the process of registration was kick-started. Seven members of the association namely: Oghomwen Iyobosa Jude, Becky Ireneson Ojo, Igho Coker, Danjuma Sule, Lawrence Arinze, Eguono Omonigho and Sunday Oghuvwu were ratified by over 70 committed members to be Caretaker committee members and the process of registration was followed through with the CAC and with the seven members of the association as its Trustees. The association was formally approved for registration with the CAC in November 2018 with Reg No. 120547.

Also in 2014, one member of set 2002, named, Sharon Adje Okafor played a very pivotal role in “Our Journey Together” by hosting a highly publicized general Réunion party that united most ADSSE alumni. This event featured attendees from set 1999 to set 2007. This event is credited to have birthed the social life-wire of ADSSEOSA as we know it today. The formal and official birth of the association was realized by the pioneer 1992 Set (ADSSE Class of 1992) in November 2018. On 5th of September 2017, Mrs Becky Ojo of set 1992 rallied members of her set together and created a WhatsApp group Platform created with the intention of uniting her set and to kick-start the formation of an umbrella body that will unite all old students of ADSSE descent. ADSSEOSA GRG 2025 Effurun Old Student Association (ADSSEOSA).

On November 2nd 2019, the first Annual General meeting AGM was held with 21 functional sets (1992 to 2012) at Wellington Hotels Effurun where Engr. Kingsley Omamiyere Aghomishe of set 2003, was duly elected as the pioneer President of ADSSEOSA alongside other executives. The election was on record the most competitive and interesting election in the history of ADSSEOSA so far. Under the Leadership of President Kingsley Aghomishe, ADSSEOSA has witnessed tremendous transformation and growth beyond what was even envisaged.