NYSC - Off To Serve!!

...Enjoy the Frustrating,hilarious and annoying brouhaha a fellow Nigerian had to endure to serve his Father land!

I've read countless Service Year Boulevard from blog visitors. I knew I'll send mine someday.

You know that feeling and sense of optimism you get when you've written your final year examination and you've printed T-shirts with your name inscribed on it.

I snapped pictures and got my white signed by colleagues. The next thing on my mind was NYSC. The above Scenario took place in the month of November 2016.

To my utmost dismay, names of students who haven't cleared their results was posted on the department's notice board and my name was included.

By the way I graduated from History and International studies department of the University of Calabar.

In case someone is wondering why the above narration should be included in my service year boulevard, well it's because my experience taught me never to judge people who haven't ''graduated'' yet from school.

I corrected my results three times with the then Examination Officer. When time for mobilisation came, my name wasn't included.

Surprisingly those who had excess Carry Overs were included on the list.
The rot in our educational system is a gangrene that can't be healed or even treated.

The next thing I was told by the examination officer was that ''The data Base has Crashed''.

Telling my parents that my name wasn't on the list of those going for NYSC was one hard and traumatic moment for me.

Let me cut this narration short.

It took the intervention of a new Examination Officer who is seen by many as strict (God bless her) for my result and other students results to be ''Corrected''.

So for one full year I was just going to school to know if my result has been ''corrected''.

March 2018 was the month my batch was to be mobilised. 

The department pasted the list of those mobilised and my name was included. I went home to tell my parents this good news. 

2 days to Camp we didn't see our names on the NYSC portal.

After making enquiries with threats of leaking the rots going on in the department to the authorities, we were told that the man who was responsible for sending our names to students affairs submitted the list late.


Apparently this man deliberately delayed submitting our names so that he can include names of those who will pay him.

I was ired and frustrated after getting this information from a staff in the department.

None of us joined batch A 2018 in the department as a result of one man's selfish act.

Batch B was scheduled for August. 

At this point I was frustrated at the whole idea of NYSC and even academy related activities except for my teaching job.

I was posted to Kebbi state. I had to look up in the Map to locate Kebbi state and it took me some mins to do so....

It's in North western region of Nigeria. It's one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. With a relatively low cost of living.

Did I mention that all these while none of us had gotten our certificates?
Camp opened on Tuesday 24th July.

I got my certificate on the day camp had opened. Getting my certificate was another issue I don't want to bore you all with.

From Cross River State to Kebbi state is a two days journey.

I finally left on Wednesday, July 25th. I got to Abuja and spent the night there.

The journey from Abuja to Kebbi the next day was about 13 hours.

I arrived Camp on Thursday 26th July. I was in platoon 5.

My platoon performed abysmally poor in camp activities except in Cooking and Filling the Cup with Water competition. 

I participated fully in camp activities.

I took 3rd in eating competition.

Having read tales of BV's who had served, I was mentally ready for the rigours of camp life.

NYSC has taught me that mankind are the same all over. We are only separated by language and religion.

I was amazed that people had boos and baes in just few days. Boys used Mammy Market to prove their love for their new found girlfriends.


As a child of God that I is na I didn't even see any girl that I can make my boo.

Camp food was delicious most days and Poor somedays.


On days we were served Jollof rice I always had two or more rounds.


I had colleagues in the room who felt too big to eat NYSC FOOD. I made good use of their meal tickets judiciously.
They were Rushing Mammy Market food while I was diligently rushing NYSC food.

I'm sure by now readers will think I went to eat in NYSC Camp.

An incident occurred in camp.
Some corpers (a female included) were caught smoking marijuana.
I wanted to snap and send the story to you Stella but on a second thought I allowed it pass.


They were pardoned after crying and begging the camp officials.
Fellow corpers equally pleaded on their behalf too.
The sun is extremely hot and the wind blows hard here.

I was posted to INEC headquarters in the state capital. They don't give accommodation and they don't pay corpers.

I hope to send us Chronicles of my PPA.

Please Stella you can post it in segments if it's too long.

Happy birthday in arrears darling Stella. Your ink will never run dry.

*WOW,you really suffered oh..And now you got INEC posting where they dont pay?chai !!!....I am sure you will make loads of money with the incoming election unless your village people are on your case...lol