SERVICE YEAR BOULEVARD 71

Take a walk down Memory lane.....Service year lane!

Pre-Camp
We did our convo on 23/10/15. My set (Batch B 2015) was the first to have the option of choosing where to serve. Prior to my undergraduate years, I’ve had a craving to be far away from home (Lagos) and family members, reason why I decided to choose UNILORIN instead of LASU when they both offered me admission but unfortunately I later found out that my relatives were living close to the school. You can only imagine my irritation when I had to stay with a relative. University was hell for me but thank God it’s all over now.

 I chose Katsina and Niger (North), I decided to choose Ekiti as the third choice and I know they’ll not post me there cos I’ve chosen Ekiti as part of the states I’ve been to. I know even if they decided to post me to another country (which is impossible) na transport fare e go chop and my dad will surely bear it, e no concern me, but I prayed to God for an auspicious posting. A state that’ll provide me three things 

1. Sure post-service job

 2. Where I’ll be able to practice my religion the more and 

3. Where I’ll get a worthy life partner.

Eventually I was posted to Jigawa that was never part of the states I chose which is very rare. We did our convo on Friday, collected certificate on Saturday to report to camp on Tuesday which was the 2nd day after my birthday (28/10/15), a very joyful but hectic week especially during the certificate collection it was mad. 

Got to school on Monday asking for my fellow Jigawa kopas turned out they’ve been looking for me too cos I was a popular jingo in school. We got to Kwara express the Tuesday morning after paying for tickets the previous day. We were supposed to leave by 7:00am but Jigawa kopas no gree full bus so, they had to join us with some Kano kopas too. Left kwara around 9:00 enter Niger around 12:00 left Niger around 5:45, bad road :( 

 arrived Kano around 9:00.

Camp experience

We eventually arrived Fanisau, Dutse at exactly 12:05am after about 15 hours from Kwara. As a very friendly and jovial person na, I quickly discovered one Yoruba soldier at the gate, later became friends up till today. They checked and welcomed us, nothing could be done as time don overpass, so we just went to the OBS studio to sleep straight.

 The camp was very beautiful and lovely, there’s always light, some people said it’s the best in Nigeria, I don’t know how true that is.
When I was coming to camp, I had promised myself that I ain’t seeing the border of Jigawa till I finished my service and I stayed true to my promise and didn’t. Being an extremely rugged dude I am I can adapt almost anywhere I find myself. I’m always good, so i had with Me all I was gonna need for the year inside the camp. 

They told us to keep our sensitive stuffs with the security at the gate, I didn’t answer them cos I like to make people happy so I brought latest movies in my system, so we still found time to watch movies inside my hostel (room J) .
We did our registration the following day and I continued my fun. My kits can conveniently contain 4 people of my size, I have a very small stature. The jungle booth naim worst pass. My legs couldn’t reach half of it. 

When it was time for afternoon parade we were to wear our white-fowl outfit to the parade ground, unknown to me, I wore my crested vest, arrived late at the parade ground, and quickly joined my platoon, na so one soldier spot me oh! Him come dey come my way, naso I run go back , e still follow and catch me. Him come carry me go front of the whole parade, the first day fa!, na only me wear crested vest instead of white vest, o boy come see me see shame. 

The soldier come shout, shout talk say make I go change am immediately, they waited till I came back, na so people start to know me oo. ‘Better by far kopas’ were plenty about 40 of us. Sundays, we wore our graduation shirt in order to intimidate others. Naso dem go dey ask which school which school, it was fun anyway I had many friends in camp including non-unilorites too especially girls, many guys were jealous though, I snapped many pictures, almost had a girlfriend then but that was what I was there for, my friends from school were disappointed when they found out I wasn't into any of the girls and I don't want to work any for them their cup zobo ntoi.

 I just concentrated on having fun. I participated in drama and other social events sha, completely filled my meal ticket, not that I don’t have option but I just wanted to have fun with everybody, whenever I’m not okay mammy’ll sort me out.

Post camp
Left camp on the 16/11/2015 being the first time I’ll ever stay alone without any family member I found out I was prepared for life big time. Left with all my kaya none went missing. I was posted to a Senior Secondary in Gwaram LGA, (reposted cos my original posting was to a place where there’s no network ‘Farin-Dutse’). As usual I quickly started my familiarity with the community members. What a lovely place to serve.

 Cost of living is insanely cheap, saved so much during service year, including the non-shaking state allowance. I quickly started planning how post-service life would be cos my papa no get filling station to work with and my mama no get job for me I better talk to my head. So I decided to create a niche for myself there and I gave myself target that at worst 2 months to the end of service I must have been very sure of what’s gonna happen. Learnt tailoring during B. Sc., did my I.T at water treatment agencies both @ state and federal levels even though no payment. I also did computer engineering before university. Studied ICH, so the world is at my feet.

Taught chemistry in the school during school hours. Went into town to relate with the community people after school hours to have fun and learn Hausa from them. I registered for one professional course CICRM. Had some responsibilities like CLO and was able to secure another job after school as part time where I now work full time with great benefits. Not millions in pay but not that bad. Learnt how to take fura da nunu and now I can hardly do without taking it in one week. I had a very wonderful service year.

POP was on the 6/10/2016. Went to greet my family members all over south west in one week(break) then resumed fully to work on 17/10/2016 as a full-time staff. I did not even look for work you can imagine, thank God.
To me, NYSC should not be scrapped but obviously certain things needs to be done right. The secret of life is to always be ready for opportunities. People should learn to utilize chances provided by NYSC. 

For instance, I achieved almost everything I wanted to achieve during my service year except the third one (turned out I love the new found freedom and being single too(), more than what I planned came to reality, mind-blowing achievements that I can’t say on this platform.

North generally, lacks development to a larger degree. So greatness can be easily achieved here. It depends on one’s ability to ‘see’ compared to ability to ‘look’ and again. You can do different businesses, you can create your own job but the fear of many persons to stay far away from home is really an encumbrance. Let me stop here.

I hope it was not too much and I did not bore you out. Cheers to Ebikzy1 who introduced me to SDK. Shout out to Stella and all fellow beevees, I now see this blog like a family house like I've known some people since forever.

*Awwwwww...shout out right back to you.Ebikzy1 I see you!