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NYSC Experience

Advantages of Arriving Early at NYSC Orientation Camp

by Sanjo March 18, 2022

Arriving early would allow you to meet a large number of other Corps members who are also on their way to the same state of deployment. Their company can alleviate the burden of navigating this unfamiliar environment on your own
Next, arriving early will allow you to simply follow up with the steps required in completing your registrations, filling out documents, finding a suitable room, and settling in without much stress.
You also have the option of choosing a nice NYSC Khaki for yourself. If you come late to camp, you are more likely to be given oversize or extra-large NYSC kits that do not fit you.
Settling in early would allow you to accept your new surroundings and reduce some of the rookie looks on your face.
Arriving early will also allow you to easily join several important groups in the camp before it closes. These organizations include the Red Cross, the SDGs, OBS, and others.
How To Maximize Your Time At NYSC CAMP

You get the opportunity to meet certain NYSC camp authorities who can assist you be posted to the desired site of primary assignment while you are joining some essential groups in the camp. These are only possible if you arrive at camp early.
Travel to the state you were posted to as soon as possible to make your stay at NYSC orientation camp more pleasant. This is especially important for those who were deployed to a remote location. It is ideal if you arrive the day before the camps open, as arriving late would make things difficult for you.

March 18, 2022 1 comment

NYSC Experience

MY NYSC CAMP CHRONICLE

by Sanjo February 12, 2022

Before I went for NYSC camp, I had heard a lot about it – the drills, the disciplined life, the sleep-inducing SAED lectures, the social activities, etc. Most of what I heard about the experience can be summarised in two words: stressful and fun. The integrity of the former had already been confirmed for me as I can still remember how sickly my sister looked when she returned from camp two years ago. Concerning the latter, however, I knew (and my sister reiterated this point to me before I left) that the 21 days being fun and exciting was entirely up to me.
If you know me well enough, you would know that I am inherently an introvert though I identify as an ambivert. If made to choose between going to a fabulous party and staying all day indoors, I would pick the latter every time. Nevertheless, with time and much exposure, I have learnt to switch modes whenever the need arises. So I decided that on getting to camp, I would make “extrovert” my default mode, switching over to “introvert” only when necessary.
I arrived at camp on Friday, 26th November, two days after it began. We were given different dates to report so as to avoid overcrowdedness during the registration. Though quite laudable, this move did little to prevent the chaotic process that was my camp registration. Anyway, the registration finally ended after hours of queuing in the sun. Afterwards, I found myself in my room, more like a large hall with over 300 men lodged in. There were rows and rows of double bunks in the room, leaving very little space for easy movement. Plastered all over the walls were words like “4get me not”, “(so so person) was here” and certain words of wisdom written with different colours of permanent markers. It reminded me of my secondary school hostel days. One of the inscriptions that struck me was that which read “make the 21 days count”. This was exactly what I had in mind and I hoped to God that I would be able to achieve it.

The daily schedule on camp is somewhat repetitive and very regimented. The day begins at 4:30am. This is when the soldier’s bugle is blown to wake us up, though many people wake up way before then to avoid the long queues at the taps. Then by 4:45 am, the Orientation Broadcasting Service (OBS) opens for the day, playing the same set of songs in the same order every day. First, the National anthem, the NYSC anthem, and some selected Nigerian pop songs fit for that day. The soldiers begin to blow their whistles around this time, signalling us to double up and move to the parade ground for morning devotion. Between 5 am and 7:30 am, we are engaged in a series of activities, including praises and worship, prayer, meditation, briefings, language study, and parade rehearsals. After this, breakfast lasts till 9 am, when we all assemble at the pavilion for a series of highly dull lectures. This lasts till 2 pm, which is lunchtime. After lunch, there are sporting activities and then parade rehearsals. This is followed by dinner, social activities between 8 pm and 10 pm and then lights out. Though the schedule is slightly readjusted on certain days, each day on camp follows its primary order each day.
Something I admire so much about the camp is the division of corps members into platoons – groups of about 200 or less, and involving them in various competitions, blatant and subtle alike. The former includes contests such as debate, drama, dance, football, volleyball, Miss NYSC, Mr Macho, to mention a few, while the latter includes stuff like kitchen duty performance, sanitation and security performance, general comportment at functions, etc. Despite the differing backgrounds of corps members in each platoon, we were expected to work together as a team to achieve the same goal. To make it more difficult, we had limited time to prepare for the contests and coupled with the usual conflicts that are bound to arise, it proved a Herculean task. My platoon, in particular, was notorious for being the most troublesome platoon; however, due to the exceptional leadership of our inspector and leaders and the commitment of many members, we emerged as the overall best platoon on camp.
Wherever many youths are gathered like this (we were about 2000), there is bound to be loads and loads of fun. We made fun of our pains, inconveniences, and helplessness in the face of it all. We laughed at those who quickly succumbed to sleep during the SAED lectures complained about the soldiers’ stupid bugle that forcefully sent us out of our hostels and the endless parades, yet we grooved together at the end each day. We made friends and foes alike. We crushed on others and got crushed on. We formed relationships, some that would stand the test of time and others that would end at the camp gate. We were young, free; it was the worst of times yet the best of times.
Following my resolve to make the 21 days count, I participated in a handful of activities. I was on the debate committee and the drama group. Also, I volunteered to give the morning meditation on behalf of my platoon. I met some fantastic people I wouldn’t have encountered if I had chosen to be a lone ranger in the process. Osagie, Adetoun, Abisola and Peace, whom I worked with within the debate committee. These guys were simply the best, entirely committed and dogged despite the clumsiness of the debate topic. It was no different in the drama group as Iyanu, Tolulope, Deji, IBK, Prince, Ebinabo, Ope, to mention a few, made the experience worthwhile. Not to forget our amiable platoon inspector, Mr Makanjuola, alias Makay whose fatherly advice and encouragement led us to victory.
There’s a particularly hilarious experience I had on camp I would like to recount. It was not so funny at the time it happened. It was one regular evening when we were usually pursued to the pavilion for a social night. I happened to be unprepared at that time and as the soldiers’ whistles began to sound, everyone around me began to prepare to move out. As is customary in Ajimobi hostel, sarcastic innuendos were being thrown at the advancing soldiers during moments like this. Maybe because I was in a good mood that day or just to feel among, I decided to join them so I shouted, “If you’re blowing a whistle, you’re wrong!” Hardly had the boys around me begun to laugh when the soldier (who I had thought was a reasonable distance away) shouted at me, “Hey! The boy that said that. Remain there! I’ll deal with you today!” At that moment, my heart was somewhere very close to my mouth. At the end of the day, the officer just seized my cap and tag, which I was able to retrieve a few days later. Whenever I remember this experience and other (far worse) soldier–corper clashes, I chuckle and also marvel at the level of self-control these soldiers embodied during the camp.
There are many things about camp that I miss. I miss the daily physical training, which is usually accompanied by exercise-friendly songs from the OBS. I miss Ajimobi boys and their endless shenanigans. I miss my NACC (National Association of Catholic Corps members) family and our vibrant chaplain. I miss my camp acquaintances turn friends – Faith and Lydia and how inseparable we were towards the end of camp. Ultimately, I miss hearing our state coordinator’s name repeatedly – “Mrs Grace Ogbuegebe” and how everyone seemed not to know how to pronounce it correctly. The only thing every other corps member and I don’t miss is the annoying bugle of the soldiers.
Many corps members, past and present, have differing opinions about the NYSC orientation camp. Some say it’s something worth experiencing, while others say it is a total waste of time. From my experience, I would say it is whatever you make it to be. If you go there as a lone ranger, choosing not to associate with others or participate in interplatoon contests, the three weeks would seem like a tremendous burden that gets heavier as the days go by. On the flip side, however, if you decide to make the 21 days count, you might even end up sad about leaving on the last day, just as I was.
PS: On the last day of camp, I had mixed feelings. I was sad about leaving my friends but happy about the prospect of finally getting some well-deserved rest!

Written by:

Joshua Ebuka Ugwu

A graduate of English and Literature Education at the University of Benin

February 12, 2022 1 comment

Graduation List And Senate List Explained

by Sanjo February 7, 2022

While the distinction between the graduation and senate lists is obvious, prospective Corps Members frequently confuse the two. There is no need for perplexity or misunderstanding
GRADUATION LIST
The NYSC Graduation List is a detailed list of graduates from a particular University or tertiary institution. This list is only a record of your graduation from an institution. The list does not automatically qualify you for NYSC registration. It guarantees you are already a graduate and your school has process you for NYSC.
To view the graduation list click here
NYSC SENATE LIST
The NYSC Senate list is a specialized list of graduates eligible for NYSC that your school compile. The Senate list is a list that contains the names and contact information of all graduates of an institution who are entitled to participate in the National Youth Service Corps program.
There are procedures and phases that the senate list must follow before it appears on the NYSC Portal, which will then allow you to register for NYSC.
Allow me to summarize the method. Once your school has sent the senate list to the DSA or placed it on your portal, you will review it and make necessary revisions.
The list would then be forwarded to Abuja, where NYSC will verify with Jamb to ensure that all names are genuine graduates.
Following that, more formal measures will be taken, and the senate list will be posted on the NYSC portal. That is the point at which you may check the portal and verify your identity.
You will be unable to complete your NYSC registration until this final step is completed.
To verify your name on the senate list Click here
The sole exception to this is if you are a graduate with foreign education. Foreign-trained individuals are exempt from the senate list requirement for NYSC registration. They have fully distinct mobilization and registration requirements.

February 7, 2022 0 comment

Builder NYSC NYSC Experience

Differences in NYSC Discharge, Exemption and Exclusion Certificate/Letters

by Sanjo January 28, 2022

NYSC issues three types of certificates. As a graduate of any higher institution of study, whether domestic or international, you are eligible for one of these national credentials in one way or another. Though this may be unfamiliar to many, the most common is the discharged certificate, usually provided to Corps members after their one-year obligatory service year.
The NYSC Discharge Certificate: is the formal document that the NYSC scheme prints and distributes to all “served” corps members. The term “served” refers to a graduate who enrolled for NYSC mobilisation, attended the three-week camping, and was assigned to a location where he had served for the previous 12 months.
Exemption Certificate: An exemption certificate is granted to someone who, by law, is not eligible to serve in the NYSC system despite having attended and graduated from a regular programme at a university or polytechnic. I said ‘by law,’ which refers to the next paragraph.
“In line with section 2 subsection (1) of the National Youth Service Corps Decree 1993, it is required that;
“Effective August 1, 1985, no individual may be compelled to serve in the service corps if, at the time of graduation or acquiring his diploma or other professional qualification”:
He is above the age of thirty (30) years;
He has served in the Armed Forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force for more than nine months; or
The Nigerian Security Organization;
The State Security Service
The National Intelligence Agency; o The Defense Intelligence Service.
He has been awarded National Honours.
Read more:The NYSC Orientation Camp Registration Process
What Are The Procedures For Obtaining A Certificate Of Exemption From NYSC?
With the recently implemented online registration process for prospective Corps members, it has become much easier for an accepted graduate to enlist. All you need to do is register between the online registration period. Pay the registration cost, as with others, and provide the required information.
Rather than being assigned a call-up number after registration, you would get a notification that you have been granted permission to participate in the programme and that your exemption certificate will be forwarded to your school at a specific time. That is, you will get a certificate of exemption from your institution of graduation.
Exempted international students will acquire their exemption certificates at the NYSC directorate headquarters at the time specified.
Read More; NYSC D.G Task Corps Members on Modern Agricultural Skills

Letters of Exclusion from the NYSC:
Graduates of any university, polytechnic, or distance learning centre are issued exclusion letters if enrolled in a part-time, sandwich, or distance learning programme. It makes no difference whether you are above the 30 years exclusion age or not. If you did not complete a standard full-time course, you were issued an exclusion letter.
Graduates in this category must also register online for NYSC mobilisation. Additionally, they must pay the exclusion charge via the portal or a bank. When NYSC begins mobilising prospective corps members, their letters will be available online for printing. This letter will be printed in full colour from their NYSC dashboard to ensure authenticity and legitimacy.

January 28, 2022 0 comment

Education NYSC Experience

The NYSC Orientation Camp Registration Process

by Sanjo October 29, 2021

The following are the steps in the NYSC Orientation Camp registration process.
At the gate: You are to submit your self-reporting slip that you are requested to print on your dashboard. Please examine it well, since you must produce your “Call-up Letter” to NCDC officials before you can be allowed entry into the camp. They will also inspect your baggage and issue you a tag number if your camp administration chooses to employ that approach.
NCDC Test: You are tested and given a nose mask, and you must be cleared from this procedure after all of your baggage has been sterilised before entering the camp.
Bed Space/Hostel: Proceed from the entry gate to the second registration station, where you will be assigned a hostel and a bed space. If any, they would collect the tag number provided to you by the gate security officers and ask you to write your name. You would be assigned a sleeping space. After obtaining the necessary camp paperwork, find your sleeping area and deposit your stuff (at the owner’s responsibility) before proceeding to the next stage.
READ MORE ON ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PERSONAL CDS
Verification: At this point, you must supply the originals of the following papers (of which you must have prepared about six photocopies): Call-up letter, result statement, green card, school identification card, and medical certificate of fitness. Proceed to biometrics after verification and confirmation.
Biometric Registration: At this point, they will take your thumbprint and compare it to the one you provided at the cyber café. Officials will cross-check your information; if everything matches, they will assign you to a platoon. You will also be handed a “Camp Corps Member Registration Slip” and a temporary I.D, as well as a certificate format, a performance report form, and a bio-data form. Locate a photocopy centre and make two photocopies of the slip, keeping the original for future use. Examine the final digit of your state code. It has a scale of 0 to 9. 0 represents platoon 10; 1 represents platoon 1; 2 represents platoon 2; 3 represents platoon 3…9 represents platoon 9.
READ MORE ON MY CDS EXPERIENCE
Platoon: Each platoon will be routed to a separate area to congregate. Your platoon officer will be waiting for you. Locate your platoon using the camp corps member registration slip, Green Card, call up letter, statement of result, and NYSC Kits to get your file, meal ticket, and NYSC Kits.
Bank account opening: At this point, all PCMs must create a new bank account…
First parade: “Pam…papa pam…; pam papa pam…; pi…po…pi…pi…pam…papa paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
Then you may look at the schedule, get used to the setting, and avoid the dull lectures.
Anyway, have fun; service is only done once.

October 29, 2021 0 comment

Information Life History NYSC Experience

My CDS Experience

by Temiloluwa April 9, 2021

I remember when I joined the Band CDS during my service year. It started from the Orientation Camp. I was a part of OBS at the time already but some of the female corps members there can be troublesome for no reason. They pick unnecessary fights with themselves. Geez…had they come from Lagos State, I would have believed them to grow in Mushin area.

Anyways, back to the gist. I left OBS because of the daily brouhaha and joined the band. That’s one of the best decisions I made during service. I learnt how to play the Tenor drum and later became a pro myself, teaching others. There was this young girl that caught my attention but she wasn’t looking at me. I was going to approach her but, I’ve never done it before. I don’t know how to speak to a lady. I’ll end up stammering, so I decided to see how fate would bring us together. My dears, perhaps fate is dozing. We never said anything more than ‘hi, hello’. Perhaps that was what fate had in store for me. I channeled my energy into practicing more. After rehearsals ended, I’ll still stay back to practice more. I’m glad I did. It paid off. I became president later on and boy, we did a lot. Every CDS day, the community was always looking out for us. They felt our presence. We’ll thrill the neighborhood with sweet songs playing their native songs. We were invited to schools, military base, weddings and teaching new Corps Members in camp. It was a massive experience.

You don’t have to be a member of the band before you notice it is an orderly sect. The band will teach you team spirit. You just have to work together to create that beautiful magic people want to hear. We were always so coordinated and worked as if our souls were united. One of the things I learnt that I thought I had in me before was patience. Ahh…I learnt patience _lopolopo_ What?! With different people coming together and you are to lead them and not lord over them. I learnt human relationship, checking each member to make them feel at home so they can participate fully. I drop my pen here for now. Oh, but not before I inform you that fate finally brought a lady to me but by then, the band had become my one and only love.

Read All You Need To Know About Personal CDS

With CDS, a Corps Member can contribute positively to the development of their host communities throughout the period of national service.

Tell me the name of your CDS group and what you have achieved or learnt so far in the CDS group.

April 9, 2021 0 comment

NYSC NYSC Experience

All You Need to Know About NYSC Foundation Loans

by Sanjo February 20, 2021

Are you an ex-corps member or a serving corps member? Did you pay N500 for ‘NYSC foundation’ during your service year? Do you need a loan to start up a business? If ‘yes’, we will show you how to apply for NYSC foundation loan.

What is NYSC foundation?

NYSC foundation is a non-governmental organization, established by former corps members who felt there is need to provide support for the continued healthy existence of NYSC scheme by empowering members and giving loans to those who needed financial help to start up a small or medium scale business.

Who qualify to apply for the NYSC foundation loan?

NYSC foundation is basically for ex-corp members and corps members who are about to pass out from service. If you pay N500 to your LGI for NYSC foundation and fill the membership form, then you are eligible to apply for this loan.

Requirements for NYSC foundation loan

The following are the requirements :

Application letter
A business proposal
Photocopies of evidence of being a registered member.

Note the following:

The loan term is 2 years.
The amount is between 300,000 and N400,000.
The interest rate is 10% annually.
The collateral for the loan is your NYSC discharge certificate (if you’re still serving, you can pledge your NYSC discharge certificate)
A civil servant guarantor

Also, copies of letter of intent which are obtainable at all NYSC Secretariats are to be delivered by NYSC Foundation.

Read CBN To Offer Loan To Corps Members

Tips to secure the loan:

Do not submit a one paged proposal document. It must be well written and detailed.
Don’t write business proposals on businesses that will take long to mature i.e make profit to repay the loan in two (2) years.
If possible, write a proposal on an existing business, they always have an edge to getting loan approval.

To apply for this loan, interested applicants should submit their proposal to any NYSC State Secretariats across Nigeria.

February 20, 2021 0 comment

NYSC NYSC Experience

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO THE 2020 BATCH “A” CORPS MEMBERS ON THEIR PASSING OUT FROM NATIONAL SERVICE.

by Sanjo February 18, 2021

Compatriots,

I rejoice with you on the completion of your one year mandatory national service and your passing out from the National Service Scheme.

It was a tough service year, starting from the closure of the compulsory 21-days orientation camp, to the pandemic outbreak which brought national lockdown. Yet, you survived and proved your worth in contributing your quota to the nation’s development.

During your compulsory service to your fatherland, I believe you gained a lot of experience and acquired valued skills. Some have gotten certificates to strengthen their degree and boost their chances for the work space.

As you proceed on the journey to another phase in your life, I urge you to continue to participate actively in the task to rebuild this nation.

With dedication and selflessness, Nigeria’s ours, Nigeria we serve!

Abex Consult®

February 18, 2021 0 comment

NYSC Experience

Female Corps Member, Susan Joseph Saved Her NYSC Allowance & Used It To Buy Tricycle

by Sanjo July 23, 2020

A promising Nigerian lady, Uwaoma Susan Joseph who passed out from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has inspired many people with her interesting story.

The young woman saved about N432,000 from her NYSC allowance which she used to purchase keke napep for business.

The graduate of estate management revealed that she earned N19,800 from NYSC and from her Primary Place of Assignment, N20,000 and was able to save up to that amount which she used to buy the tricycle.

The young entrepreneur who added that she was also doing a side hustle and therefore had no cause to be broke, bought the fairly used tricycle which she gave out for hire purchase.

Uwaoma revealed that she gets daily returns from the business, adding that she needs a good job to complement her income.

“Am proud to say. I came. I saw. I conquered…NYSC is not scam. Am a proud owner of a Keke. I need a good job to blend it. I studied Estate management and valuation…Share to inspire someone.”

July 23, 2020 0 comment

NYSC Experience

My NYSC travel experience in Cross River State, Nigeria

by Sanjo June 10, 2020

In my 21 years of being in this world, I have not travelled to so many places. I am more of a stay-at-home kind of girl, but for some reason, one thing or another has made me leave places I am very familiar with, to another part of my country and another part of the world I have never been to. I will be narrating my travel experience in Cross River State, Nigeria.

The Reason I went to Cross River

I should let you know, first of all, that I travelled to Cross River state for a reason. I didn’t just travel there because I felt like leaving my dear house and family in Lagos. I travelled to Cross River state for the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps). To a typical Nigerian, the term NYSC is not new. But for those who don’t know what the NYSC is, I’ll tell you.

The NYSC is a period when citizens of Nigeria who are graduates of tertiary institutions, whether in Nigeria or abroad, serve Nigeria (in Nigeria, because, during the service, you are not supposed to leave your place of service). During the service, the Nigerian government assigns you to a Place of Primary assignment (POP) where you will serve for one year. This place could be a school, a hospital, a government or state parastatal, etc. It is compulsory as a Nigerian Youth to serve the country, especially if you plan on getting a job in Nigeria or working for the Nigerian government.

Travelling to Cross River State

That being said, I will go on to tell my experience. I travelled by road from Abia state through Akwa-Ibom state to Cross River state. The journey took four hours. I saw the Itu River, which separates Akwa-Ibom from Cross River. From there, I went straight to the capital city, which is Calabar. I had a cousin who lived there; he accommodated me for the period I was there. The first things I noticed in Cross River were that the roads were good and clean, there was no traffic, there were many trees along the road, there were big metal rectangle-shaped trash bins for residence to empty their trashes into, the drainages by the roadside were deep and clean, and the air was fresh. For some reason, the first things I notice about a place are not the people in the place. I notice the surroundings first. Maybe because I like to see what Lagos can do better about its surroundings.

I stayed at my cousin’s house for the night. He was very welcoming and happy to see me. He was living in the staff quarters of where he worked. The accommodation was some rooms arranged in U shape. There were about ten rooms there. The ten rooms had a kitchen, two bathrooms and two toilets to share.

That evening, he took me to a nice restaurant not too far from the house. There we bought a plate of wheat and Afang soup with lots of meat. Afang soup is a very popular soup in Cross River state. It is made with a particular vegetable called ‘Afang’ in Efik (or called Okazi for the Igbo tribe). A plate of that cost about NGN1500. I was so excited to eat the food because I was very hungry. It was tasty and filling. We went home and just slept.

Travelling to the NYSC Orientation Camp

The following morning, I set out for Obubra. Obubra is a local government in Cross River. It is the place where the NYSC Orientation camp for Cross River State is located. I was to stay in the Orientation camp at Obubra for three weeks. My cousin accompanied me to the bus park, where I took a bus. The trip cost me NGN2500. I was so excited when I saw one of my friends from my university getting into the same bus as me. His name is Evey, and he too was going to the orientation camp. It made me feel more comfortable knowing that someone I knew was going to be around me during the whole trip.

On the way, by the sides of the road, I saw very low lands that were erosion stricken, many rubber plantations, palm oil plantations, universities, churches, and so many other things I cannot remember. We passed through local governments like Odupani, Akamkpa (where I saw the Akamkpa College of Education), Ugeb, Yakurr, Boki, Ogoja, before we finally got to Obubra. To get to the NYSC orientation camp, my friend and I had to get on a motorcycle. It was the motorcycle that took us to the camp. The journey took us six hours without traffic and with a good vehicle. That was when I realised how large Cross River was.

My experience in the Orientation Camp

On getting to the camp gate, the soldiers at the gate started shouting with their deep voices, ‘Are you walking down here? Come on, double up! double up! ‘ Evey and I looked at each other’s tired faces, and I was like, ‘What’s double up? ‘. Before Evey could give any response, the soldiers started shouting, ‘You better start running down here! ‘. It was in that instant that I knew that “double up” means to run or make haste. Immediately, Evey and I carried our boxes and started running towards the gate. When we got to the gate, we greeted the soldiers and joined the queue we saw there. The queue was for the soldiers to search our boxes and make sure people coming in were not going in with sharp objects. We were not allowed to enter with hangers, forks, and irons. Those items were seized from the gate. The soldiers asked us to come and collect it after the orientation was over (well, I didn’t go back to collect my fork that was seized).

After the gate, the next step was getting a hostel, where we would stay during the three weeks. First, we had to go and get a mattress from a different room then go to the hostel and get a bunk space. The room where the mattresses were kept was very stuffy. These mattresses were very dusty and flat. These mattresses can be literally compared to a mat. It seemed like there were no foams inside the mattress. I was not disappointed because I was not hoping to get much comfort. I came with the mindset of expecting the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario would have been not having a mattress but I had a flat mattress so I was satisfied with that.

After getting the mattress, I had to join the long queue of ladies with their mattresses that wanted to get a bunk space in the hostel. It took me about an hour to finally get a hostel. The hostel was packed with a lot of people. In my hostel, we were about 90 people. The hostel was about 72 to 80m2. Yeah, it was really tight. It was very noisy too. There was only one bulb in my hostel and the windows were a bit small. No sockets in the hostel(so I had to charge my phone at the mami market) The space between a bunk and the next was so tight that we had to use our sides to pass through (I was grateful that I was not fat). The bathrooms and toilets were outside the hostel, very scary bathrooms. There were toilets which I never used. I usually defecated in my plastic for pooing then I threw the feces inside the toilet when I was done. After that, I washed my plastic and flushed the toilet. I could not risk getting a toilet infection. The tap was mechanical (the one you move up and down for the water to come out). The water looked clean when it first came out from the tap, but when left for like an hour, you began to see oil on top of the water (well, I used the water like that). The whole hostel just got me exhausted. I preferred to be outside than inside my room. I only wanted to be inside when I was sleeping.

After getting the hostel, we had to go and get our tags—everyone who came for the NYSC orientation needed to get a tag. One could get the tag only after all necessary documents had been verified. This part was survival of the fittest. Everyone, both guys and ladies, wanted to get a tag. Over 1000 of us in a small hall struggling to reach the stage where the NYSC officials were so that we could get our documents verified and get a tag. Now the noise was deafening. Rows of chairs were arranged from the beginning to the end of the hall. Some people were sitting, while some were standing behind. If you were sitting then it means you are already in the queue. If you were standing, then you had not begun the journey yet. The way the queue moved is like this: we were jumping from row to row. If someone moved forward in the row in front of you, you had to just cross over from your chair to the chair in front of you. It was really hilarious and was a struggle for who had better stamina. I actually didn’t go far with this method. Someone was there to overtake me every time. The soldiers later came to organise the queue and I was able to get to the front to verify my documents. I verified my document at 11:30 pm that faithful day and got the tag around the same time. The tag is for you to have a platoon or a group. I was in Platoon/group 7.

Everyday activities I did while on Camp

The soldiers woke us up every day with trumpets by 5 am. We gathered for morning devotions where the Christians and Muslims faithful prayed at their designated places together for an hour. After the prayer, we would jog and do man-o-war drills for another hour. Between 7 am and 7:30 am, you are allowed to take your bath and clean your surroundings. Between 7:30 am and 8 am, breakfast is served. For everything, there were usually very long queues which I later got used to.

Activities I enjoyed while on camp

I participated in various activities such as the swearing-in ceremony where we were inducted as Corps members. After the ceremony, I took some pictures with friends and colleagues.

Altogether, it was a memorable experience because I got to meet new people from other parts of Nigeria. I made friends that have remained friends even till this moment. When it was time to go, I was very excited but also scared because I didn’t know which local government in Cross River I would be posted to serve. But all the same, I was happy to leave and go back to meet my cousin.

June 10, 2020 0 comment