CORPER OF THE NORTH- Chapter One

My NYSC story is an inspiring and entertaining one. But more than just entertainment, I’m sharing it because I believe it can encourage and inspire someone out there. Stories have a great way of affecting our lives. I was posted to serve in the northern part of Nigeria and I experienced a lot. Allow me to share my experiences with you.

CHAPTER ONE – My Journey to Sokoto

Firstly, let me do a quick introduction. My name is Favour Omo, popularly known as Kendra and I am a Nigerian. I graduated from the university in 2017. As the usual culture for every Nigerian graduate, I was preparing to serve my country in a national programme we call, National Youth Service Corps, also known as NYSC.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the development of the country. There is no military conscription in Nigeria, but since 1973 graduates of universities and later polytechnics have been required to take part in the National Youth Service Corps program for one year. This is known as the national service year.

I don’t want to bore you with all the details but I believe you get what it is. After my final year exams in 2017, I stayed back in Benin City, Edo State and got a job as a computer operator. There were some issues in my department and so our results were delayed for a while. Because of that, I couldn’t go with the first batch of corp members in 2018. The issue was later resolved and our results were released. I started my final clearance and days later, my name was published in the senate list. I then registered for NYSC and waited patiently to receive my call-up letter.

During my wait, I continued working as a computer operator. When the list for Batch B Steam One was released, I wasn’t posted. I felt disappointed but I hoped for something better. I remember while I was filling out the form, I was made to choose four different states from four different geo-political zones. The states I chose were Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Adamawa and Kebbi. Oh! I prayed so hard that I would be posted to either Akwa Ibom or Ogun state; somewhere that had nothing to do with the northern part of Nigeria. There was this general fear a Nigerian who grew up in the south had when they have to do anything related to the north. I also had that fear and so I prayed so much that my knees were hurting one time after I had knelt to pray. I knew that since I am from the south and I also schooled in the south, I would be posted to the north but I tried to fight that thought.

One evening as I was about to leave my place of work, I got the news that the list for Batch B Stream Two corp members had been released and so I checked my call-up letter. Everything around me came to a pause the moment I saw my call-up letter. I quickly skimmed through and the first thing I noticed was, ‘Wamakko, Sokoto State.’
I paused and stared for a while before I could read the full statement.
‘NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Wamakko, Sokoto State.’

Immediately, I started laughing. It was confusing because I had not chosen Sokoto State and I was posted there for camp. My friend collected the letter from me while I was still laughing. He carefully read through and discovered that I was posted to Kebbi State but I had to camp in Sokoto State.

Here is the thing; after receiving a call-up letter, we were expected to go for a compulsory 3 weeks of training in camp before we would be posted to our Place of Primary Assignment (PPA), where we would be serving. So, I was posted to Kebbi State but I had to camp in Sokoto state. Because the number of people who were posted for this batch was not much, they had to merge the corp members in two states for camping. In my case, Kebbi corp members were merged with Sokoto corp members. Also, corp members are popularly called corpers.

I got home that evening and broke the news to my family. I was living with my uncle then since my parents lived in Warri, Delta State. I called to inform them and got the typical reply that I had expected. My mum panicked but my dad was indifferent. He would always say, “There is nothing wrong with the north.” I entered my room that evening and asked God to change my posting. I slept hoping that my posting would be changed the next day. I checked it when I woke up and it was still the same. I had no other choice than to accept it.

I had already bought the things I needed for camp; my white T-shirts, white shorts, white socks, white sneakers, and some other important stuff. I searched online for some Facebook or Whatsapp groups of newly posted corp members. I read stories about some ex-corp members and began to gain confidence. Everything seemed settled and packed my bag.

I looked ready but I had no idea how I would travel to Sokoto. I thought of travelling by air but there was no straight flight from Benin City to Sokoto. And also, booking a flight was not an option because it was more expensive than I could afford. So, I asked some questions in one of my online groups. That was where I got several suggestions. Some suggested that I would see public transport from Benin to Sokoto. A few suggested that I wait and book a flight. I took the easy option and I located the motor park where I could get a bus to Sokoto from Benin.

It was at that motor park that I met my friend, Gino. He was also posted to Kebbi State like me and he needed a transport system to Sokoto. We talked, exchanged numbers and immediately became acquaintances. The bus was set to move by 6 am. We went home and got prepared. My mum called and suggested that I go through Onitsha, using a luxurious bus (as we would call it). I thought it was a good idea and so I suggested it to my newly found acquaintance. He considered the cost and agreed.  The plan was set. It was a Saturday and we were meant to travel on Sunday so that we could get to camp on time. The camp was set to open on Monday.

I posted about my NYSC posting on my Whatsapp Status and one of my coursemates, Fortunate, replied to me almost immediately. She had also been posted to Kebbi and she was as confused as I was. I told her about my plans and she decided to tag along. The next day, Fortunate, Gino and I made it to the motor park at Onitsha. We got there a few minutes past noon. We had thought the bus would leave in the evening.

When we arrived, we were told that the bus for that day had just left. Our frustration level immediately hit 85%. One of the workers advised us to pay for our ticket, book our seats and drop our luggage at the park. She told us it was safe but I had second thoughts. I don’t trust people easily. I thought about it for a while and left a few of the less important stuff. I took the important stuff with me. We paid for our tickets and I suggested that we sleep over at my aunt’s place in Asaba.

Asaba is a town very close to Onitsha so, my friends accepted. My aunt welcomed us that day and early the next morning, which was Monday, we started our journey back to Onitsha. When we got to Onitsha, we had forgotten how to get to the motor park and we couldn’t trust anyone. Gino suggested that we walk and observe some landmarks. It worked. I remembered a bridge and a big church that we had passed. After what seemed like the longest walk of our lives, we finally arrived at the park. We were hungry and tired. It was about a few minutes past 10 am. The bus was almost full. Many corp members had boarded the same bus and a few women who do business.

Fortunate, Gino and I stuck together like siblings who were going to a strange land. It was time to board the bus. We got in and observed as other persons also boarded the bus. The seats got filled up but more people were entering. They would walk in and position themselves along the small walkway, between the two columns of seats.   Since it was my first time on such a bus, I felt that standing feels weird. The journey from Onitsha to Sokoto is approximately 22 hours by bus. I couldn’t imagine how someone would stand for that long.

Anyway, the bus moved and I was very uncomfortable. I don’t like long journeys so it was expected. Fortunate was there to comfort me so after a while, I started getting used to the journey.

I don’t want to talk about the state of the road from Onitsha to Abuja but it was terrible. I didn’t start enjoying the ride until we arrived in Abuja. I had thought that Sokoto was close but when I checked my Google map, I knew that my journey had just begun.

We made a stop at Abuja very early on Tuesday morning. Some of us came down to cool off, use the restroom and eat. It was then that I realised that one of the ladies on the bus could barely walk. She had been sitting for too long and her legs were swollen and red. Before she could lift her legs, she struggled. By the time we returned to the bus, her legs had become normal. She said all she had to do was exercise them a little.

After Abuja, we made several stops in Zaria, Katsina, and Zamfara. My mother had called me several times to ask about our location. I slept and woke up many times but the journey was endless. When we got to Zamfara, I checked my Google map and I was hopeful again. We spent close to four hours in Zamfara. I kept checking the time. I never knew that the states in the north were very big.

When we finally arrived at Sokoto state, it seemed like someone had released a swarm of flies into the bus. The flies would perch on every part of our bodies as if they were pests. We tried our best to drive them off but our efforts were wasted as the files came right back at us. One of the guys on the bus, who was an old corp member serving in Sokoto State laughed and said, “The flies are here to welcome you all.”

At the entrance of the state, we stopped at an Immigration checkpoint. The soldiers asked us to get down and identify ourselves. They separated corp members from other citizens and non-citizens. It was then that I realised that some persons on that bus were citizens of Niger. After the search, the soldiers allowed us to pass. We drove for another two hours before we arrived in the main town. The bus drove into the central park and stopped.

Immediately I came down, I began to observe the place. Indeed, it was a strange land. I don’t know how best to describe the place. I saw a different setting from what I know. I saw more men than women and more children who were begging than men. I asked myself if the women were not allowed to come out in public. After a while, I started seeing some women and young girls.

The other corp members looked for another taxi to take them to the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp at Wamakko. Fortunate, Gino and I stayed back. We were waiting for my dad’s friend to come to pick us up at the park. We waited for almost 30 minutes and I was almost losing my patience. It was already a few minutes past 6. I had just finished talking to my dad when a man walked up to me and asked if I was Omo. I said yes. He dialled my phone number to confirm and it rang. We entered his car and drove for almost two hours before we arrived at the campsite in Wamakko.

Some soldiers were positioned at the gate. They searched our bags and allowed us to enter the camp arena. My dad’s friend was an Immigration officer. He tried to use his power to help us get our clearance as fast as possible but the soldiers on duty told him that clearance for that day had ended. He promised to come back the next day to help us get cleared. He asked me to call to remind him. We entered the camp arena a few minutes before 9 pm on Tuesday. It felt like we were early but we came in very late. Many persons had already resumed camp and when I saw them, they looked settled and comfortable.

Wow! At last, I was in Sokoto State; a place I never thought existed.

…to be continued. The next chapter will be posted next Saturday.

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