My CAMP EXPERIENCE

parade and drill activities

swearing in parade

some of platoon 6 corp members

Can I talk about my favorite things about NYSC orientation camp Nsit Atai Akwa-ibom state?

OK before I continue,

I know I might have foreign readers so I’ll try to make this understandable.

 NYSC is a one year program organized by the Nigerian government where Nigerian graduates are mobilized to serve their fatherland; this means working in different establishments across the country and getting paid a meager salary. Of course we are expected to be really proud we are helping in the development of our country. So patriotic indeed!

 In the end of our one year of service we would be issued a certificate (Apparently, we have little or no choice at all since we need this certificate for employment purposes) I guess my explanation is a little bit depressing.  Well blame it on the three weeks orientation exercise, where we had to endure mean soldiers cussing back and forth, bad food and endless drills under the sun and rain.

Well it’s not all horrible, you’ll soon know why.

I was mobilized and sent to Akwa-ibom a southern state, five hours drive from Enugu where my family resides.  Very lovely state it turned out to be, with their white soil (where I come from its red earth) and cheerful people. Their language is a very funny combination of raw African tongue coming out in Chinese mono syllables; hence I nicknamed it “African Chinese”.  If only the orientation camp was situated in the city, perhaps those three weeks would have been a lot easier. Sadly it wasn’t… 

We spent those dreadful three weeks in a village, far from the city but strangely close to the city’s airport. My first week was horrible, there were afternoons I almost passed out but I got through it by finding humor in everything. Only the soldiers seemed to enjoy the drill, and if you try even for a second to rest your aching feet they’ll magically appear from nowhere bellowing “KAI MAMA!” 

 I had serious blisters after the first two days but I still wore my shoes and stood for hours like my fellow corp members. The second week was easier, we had gotten used to the routine;  the late nights and early hours, the deafening whistle sounds, the dreaded sound of the beagle, the foul language and voices yelling

 “if you’re walking you’re wrong. Double up!” 

 The white shorts and white tennis shoes and SAED SAED OHHHHH!!!!!!!!! But we still complained incessantly.

I told you I had my favorite things, right? Well here we go

I wake up every morning now craving a hot cup of coffee. Not just any ordinary cup of coffee, one in a red paper cup. Those boys with their trolley-like little cafés made my mornings, with 200 Naira you’ll get a scalding hot cup of coffee and sausage rolls and I literally got addicted! That is my number one favorite thing. 

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Lord! My roommates were crazy! Every new day ushered in new drama. It was like they selected a bunch of psychopathic human beings and placed them in one room. We were fifteen in a narrow uncomfortable room in the famous Akpabio hostel, so there was bound to be drama. 

Banty was the loudest! She had no filter and no limitation to what she could say. She drops it as it is and dares anyone to counter it, so she can pounce on you too. Her ability to speak different native tongues made it quite difficult to say anything without her knowing. Tall and dark with eyes that instantly tells you she’s a wild one (I am sure beneath all that lays a beautiful heart, maybe)

Then there was Francisca, she was Banty’s right hand man and we all would laugh at their funny fights and usual bickering. She was softer but had little or no filter as well but her sense of humor was refreshing. (Somehow her things always seemed to be missing all the time). 

 And of course Taiwo, she is that typical Yoruba girl.  Dark-skinned and robust , always willing to drop her native tongue around like little grenades. These were the main aggressive characters. 

Oh my Nonye, how could I forget….She was my friend and companion all through those three weeks. Tall, curvy, beautiful, very soft at heart but she puts up this cold wall around her. In the room she was another character to watch out for. Always in the middle of fights trying to judge and analyze and she’s got a mouth on her too.

 There was sweet Lolly who talked endlessly of her twin sister. Light skinned and beautiful, ever ready to help with the little stuffs plus she’s got a strong self-will that is bigger than her small stature. 

The quiet ones were (Oluchi, Ada, Amaka, Sewe,yetunde). Peace was the mother of the room and counselor to all. There was of course the controversial Tope and our one and only model Gloria who somehow for some unknown reason was Banty’s favorite quarrel partner.  They might have a thing or two to say about me, but I can assure you guys I was totally a sweet heart. Getting to meet these people was one of my favorite things about camp.

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Annie Rittie, was the name of the woman that fed me for those three weeks! Of course I paid for her services but still there was something about that woman. She had the kind of smile that lights up a dark room. It’s totally infectious; you’d have no choice but to smile with her. So it wasn’t just about her tasty meals perhaps they where other food vendors who cooked better than her, but the fact that I needed that charisma and positive energy around me.  Nonye and I never ate anywhere else.

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Oh…. The boys! Lord! Of course I’ll talk about the boys without them camp would have been dead. They were ones who thought they were better than everybody else; you’ll know them by their beards and their funny little cliques. You see them daily trying their lucks with different girls hoping some of them will fall for their dumb lines and some did fall but mostly because of the free food that will follow. (Y’all know how i like to observe)

There were of course the quiet good looking ones, who never really made noise or hung with a squad. Always on their own, too shy to say hello but bold enough to stare. Sometimes you might see them with a girl or two nothing too loud.

The loud ones who told stories, cracked jokes and bragged about who they were outside the camp, the lifestyle they left behind and how the rest of us should bow and grovel at their feet.

Yes, I observed it all. There were ones who knew that you’re way out of their league but they still tried their luck, claiming they just want to be friends  

 All these little things made the experience worthwhile.  So you see it’s not all bad, you get to meet different people, laugh till your ribs hurt and then there is the variety night (I guarantee this one will entertain you). 

Before I end this long boring piece I want to send out a big shout out to PLATOON 6!  I want to tell y’all how amazing you are!  Shout out to Cherry (miss parade commander) Clarence (our Ice prince Zamani) Victor (our very own Bovi) Eddie and the beautiful vivian (my cartel) Sunny (my hubba bubba) and the rest of platoon 6 corp members! I could go on and on but I can bet my readers are tired at this point. This is very different from my regular posts. (Pardon me this time)

 Let’s continue serving our fatherland and if fate wills it we’ll meet again and like out state coordinator always says; remember TOMORROW IS COMING!!

 (if you’re a corp member and you come across this post, don’t forget to drop what you miss most about camp in the comment section below)