Tag: Camp

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, who participated in the orientation for the first stream of Batch “C”, have been reliving their experiences. Some say it was good; others claim it was not so good, write OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (NYSC, Makurdi) and PHILIP OKORODUDU (NYSC, Jalingo).

THE  orientation for the first set of Batch ‘C’ National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members ended last Monday, setting the stage for another set of graduates to undergo the training. But for those, who participated in the scheme, the journey started on a mixed note of excitement and disappointment.

Some of them travelled for more than 15 hours to get to their states of deployment. But for others, it was a short journey.

Samuel Osho, who was posted to Taraba State, spent 23 hours on the road before he got to the camp. The bus he was travelling in had an overnight stopover in Benue State before continuing the journey the following day. Samuel said: “It was the longest journey I have ever made.”

When the Corps members got to their camps, they were welcomed by NYSC officials and military personnel, who searched their luggage to ensure no harmful object was brought in. This exercise lasted several hours, because of the number of those involved.

Although registration was orderly in some camps, it was so in others, as the youth were stranded for several hours. After they were given uniforms and kits, the course commenced. The Corps members were drilled.

Unlike campus hostels, where students do not have bed time, every Corps member is expected to sleep after 10pm and wake up at 4am when they hear the sound from the military bingle. They were expected to prepare for the morning parade and exercises. Anyone found on the bed during the parade was punished. Life there was not the same with campus life, which gives students freedom to either participate or absent from academics.

“I heard so many unpalatable stories, especially how soldiers could punish all Corps members for an offence committed by one person. Indeed, I experienced this. We were punished in the daylight and midnight when our hostel was messes up. There were Corps members whose clothes were soaked with water for missing morning parades. Now, I know some of the stories I heard about camp life are true,” Esther Arowosafe, a graduate of OAU, said.

The Wannune Camp in Benue State was a beehive during the orientation session. The villagers made brisk business, rendering various services to the Corps members. Everything the Corps members needed was readily available at the door steps.

But, while some of the Corps members have good tales to tell about their experience, others have sour experiences.

Tunde Sanni, a Corps member in Taraba State, was rushed from the parade ground to the camp clinic after he collapsed during a physical exercise. Reliving the experience, Tunde said: “Prior to my admission at the camp clinic, I heard unpleasant stories about the condition of medical services in the campus and they were not exaggerated.

The camp clinic lacked adequate medical personnel to take care of Corps members, who fell sick during the orientation training.

“Most of the medical staff in the clinic were Corps members. When it comes to diagnosing patients, the clinic does not have facilities to do so. The most disheartening is non-availability of drugs. The situation was so serious that people were told to come back for their drugs. Despite, these shortcomings, the authorities were able to maintain a clean and safe environment.”

At the temporary camp in Government College, Jalingo, the hopes of many Corps members were dashed after they discovered the camp lack basic amenities, such as good toilet, electricity and bathroom.

For Dhikrullah Akinola, it was a memorable experience at the Plateau State NYSC camp. He said: “My stay in Mangu camp was wonderful. Initially, the harsh weather condition almost discouraged me but it was fun after all.”

Joy Idoko, a graduate of Business Administration at the Benue State University, said she had fond memories of the orientation training. She said: “Despite that our bed time was altered, I still enjoyed my stay in the camp. It attended some educative programme and acquire skill, which can make me to be self-reliant.”

Johnson Imaga, who is serving in Bayelsa State, said he would not forget his experience at Kaiama Orientation Camp in a hurry. Johnson said his hostel was notorious for unruly behaviours. He said: “We were subjected to harsh punishment and paid dearly for our stubbornness.”