BY AMAYINDI YAKUBU
How time flies, they say. The journey that began from the Delta State National Youth Service Permanent Orientation Camp in Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area culminates with several shades of experience and reflections.
Growing up, it was always fascinating for me when I saw young and vibrant people wearing the Corps uniform. The thought that I will one day in my life have the privilege to be conscripted into the scheme seems like a wild fantasy. This is coming from someone whose ambition to attain the status of a graduate was once just a big dream that God, through my parents, would ensure its manifestation.
Fast forward to the end of my undergraduate programme, during the convocation ceremony at Mamman Kontagora Square in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Northern Nigeria’s premier university, which is situated at the heart of the Zazzau emirate. As various undergraduate students transition to a new phase in their lives where they are now called graduates, the joy-filled atmosphere was accompanied by much uncertainty about what the future holds for us.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) enrolment had just begun a few days after convocation, and the anxiety of my friends and me grew stronger. Where destiny will tilt us towards was our major concern. This is against the backdrop that the Nigerian nation has evolved into what many of us have come to dread.
The nation that we were once told as young lads used to be peaceful, colourful with cultural heritage, and basking in economic growth has metamorphosed into being always ranked on negative international indices of all sorts of statistics. The beautiful savannah in the North has become a death zone, the oil-rich South-south is turbulent, and the West has become the conclave of ritual killings and cybercrime, while the once peaceful eastern part of the country is no longer a haven.
With this little background story coupled with a high economic downturn, most young persons envisioning serving their fatherland are caught between a rock and a hard place. For those like me who prefer to allow destiny to decide our fate and who obviously cannot pay a “sure plug” for direct posting to states and organisations, the sovereign will of the Creator must take its course.
I looked steadfastly at my phone screen in awe when Delta State appeared on my call-up letter. At first, excitement filled my heart knowing that I would be leaving the North to have a taste of the southern part of Nigeria. But concerns and fears crept in when I thought about who I knew in that state. The answer was simple – none but my Creator. Who will I cope with when relocating to a new place? Who will pick me up at the park? All the questions were running wildly through my mind.
Barely a day after I knew my new destination, I stepped out in faith, hoping for the best as I boarded a luxurious bus from Zaria to Asaba. Watching as the north fades away into the vegetation of the south with its vibrant night activities, was a great adventure. Not to mention, hearing tales of robbery at certain strategic locations across the forests from the bus driver and other passengers who frequently travel along the road was scary.
Alas! I arrived safely at Issele-Uku after almost forgetting my luggage on the bus; the conductor never showed remorse, which gave me cause for concern. On arriving at the Camp, being greeted with a warm welcome by the female police officers at the gate gave me ease. Little did I know that it was going to be an experience filled with mixed feelings.
The sound of the beagle each morning introduced tension into my frail body each day, not to mention the cold sensation I felt during the early hours of our devotion. One funny experience I had was when I thought about jumping over the fence as I went to urinate. My instinct reminded me that my ‘white fowl’ uniform, as it is called, would make it easier for the host community to fish me out and return me as a stray back into the hands of military men at the camp.
With time, I became fully ingrained into my newfound home, making new friends and associating with folks different from mine. Camp revealed to me how most Nigerians have little or no understanding of the culture and life of their counterparts in other regions. I was perplexed as fellow Nigerians railed and demonstrated stereotypes against others based on rumours that are not verifiable. My friend amusingly told me how she was informed to avoid walking with me because I was from the north.
The underlying fact remains that, as a nation, we have lost a sense of our national identity. If we sample Nigerians’ opinions about what they think binds us together as a nation, it might be hard to get a concrete answer that aligns with our collective identity. You do not blame people for lacking a proper understanding of their country when you remove history from their curriculum and replace it with a half-baked education system.
Beyond the above tale, one of my favourite moments in camp was participating in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) training. The three-day intense mentorship class facilitated by Mr Ali Timothy offered me the privilege to learn, engage, and further foster connections with my peers. In line with the training manual, we explored the 17 goals and walked through how to bring solutions to them using a local approach, yet with a global change-makers’ mindset.
The connections I forged during our training at the camp have become a tremendous leverage for me. Ifeoluwa, John, Joel, Sunday, Iren, Femi Soole, and Akachi, to mention but a few, became like a family for me. The beautiful aspect was how we bonded in a few days as though we had known each other for a lifetime. When young, progressive, and visionary minds converge, they tend to see possibilities amid chaos. With high morale, we shouted “SDG everyone, everywhere” as we became development knowledge facilitators.
As the 21-day camping experience elapsed, our excitement rose to its peak along with frustration, knowing that most of us would be relocated to various local government areas across the urban areas and creeks of the Delta. Upon receiving my posting letter, my heartbeat became high. Suddenly, a cool sensation came to my heart when I saw The Pointer Newspaper, Asaba, as my place of primary assignment. I watched as others cried while many were eager to visit their new destinations.
Right from camp, the Nigerian Christian Corps Fellowship (NCCF) was among the first groups I identified with. Every day, we shared fellowship in prayers and study of God’s word; those moments drew me closer to God and gave me a family to call my own. After my place of primary assignment accepted me, I was housed at the NCCF family house just behind Stephen Keshi Stadium, which gave me proximity to my new office.
In just a few days after settling at the family house (NCCF), by the election of grace, I became the Publicity Secretary of the fellowship. At this time, I was navigating both leadership and ensuring I remained committed to my place of primary assignment. How I found balance between the two was by having a resilient and adaptive mindset. But most importantly, as a Christian, my source of strength stemmed from my relationship with God.
As Christian corps members, we devoted ourselves to evangelism, discipleship and personal transformation, ensuring that the work of God grew while our careers advanced. I cannot forget the memorable experience of travelling on a long journey with other corps members to Issele-Azagba, Illah, and Ika North East to preach the Gospel and offer humanitarian aid to locals. As the Publicity Secretary, often called Pubgreat, my job description was to ensure that all activities were properly given media coverage and posted online.
Leaving with my fellow executives, whom I called brothers and sisters, gave me the feeling that I belonged to a family that was not blood-bound, yet strong enough to rely on. Amos Kenechi, Moses Oderinde, John Abiodun, Chikwado Nelson, Emmanuel Dinneya, Amao David, Jeremiah Lucky, Samuel Okerede, Joan Femi-Felemu, Charity Ogbonna, Precious Benjamin and Mary Salami played an active role in my life during this one year that I can never forget.
I cannot forget to share how The Pointer Newspaper has shaped my life with the warmth of love, care and professional development. My first supervision was when I was assigned to work under Mrs Rosemary Nweabuni, who was the Weekend Editor at the time before being elevated as the General Manager due to her tremendous contribution to the growth of the organisation. She played a remarkable role in helping a young graduate like me learn and practise the rudiments of news writing. I have a father in Mr Godfrey Ubaka, the immediate past General Manager. My weekend crew co-writer, Rita Oyiboka (who is currently the Sunday News Editor), throughout our collaborative writing ensured that my articles were up to standard.
While others dreaded the newsroom, every time I walked in there, the environment automatically ignited the creative spark for me to pen down my contemplation about development and social affairs in Delta State and beyond. What journalism did for me as a person was above what other social institutions offer. Writing feature articles allowed me to have my well-articulated thoughts heard by stakeholders in society.
The pinnacle of my excitement in this writing career comes when I watch as people read my articles on the newsstand. I have come to accept that journalism is not just a profession; it is a calling to serve humanity and live a life of purpose, holding stakeholders accountable for their actions while ensuring that development and people are prioritised over mere policies.
As I look forward to what destiny holds for me, I am grateful for the good memories I have earned in Delta State. Truly, the Big Heart is welcoming and full of untapped possibilities. My shout-out goes to The Pointer Newspaper staff in the persons of Mrs Edna Emeni (Editor-In-Chief), Mr Patrick Nwanze (Production Manager), Mr Ifeanyi Uwagwu (Deputy Sports Editor), Ebi Niekieten, Mr Awele Ogbogu (Production Editor), Ms Chika Kwamba, Mr Andy Akeni (Weekend Editor) and Mr Chibuike Nwodika of the Production Department, among others.
To current and future corps members, your service year is one of the significant seasons in your life that you cannot afford to waste. It is a period where you have all the time to figure out what destiny holds for you. It is okay not to understand all about your life, yet try to grasp a better glimpse of your preferred tomorrow. When you sustain a mindset of service, you will maximise your potential as you are on the route to your personal and career development. NYSC is not a scam, it is what you make of it!
