My NYSC Story by Victor Agu

MY NYSC STORY

I have realized that NYSC was no scam for me. The experience was awesome and I was able to achieve so much. I built capacity, and got ready for the outside world.

My name is Victor Agu, a former Kwara corper (2018 batch C1) and I have the following experiences to share. As I write, quick memories of how I admired serving as a kid continue to flood my mind. However, I’m both happy and grateful to God that I lived out my childhood admirations.

OK, let’s go on a journey:



As a very near first class Economics graduate{4.40/5.00} from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state; I left school heavily wounded and dented, as I got kicked out of a first class in only my last semester on campus. The why and how is a story for another day. But then, I also left school back to Lagos with much zest, fire, a reason to live out my dreams and to stay at the top of my game. I quickly applied around, attended a couple of interviews and worked a little on arriving Lagos.

At some point I was so determined to work my NYSC to Lagos in order to stay within the reach of the big fish industries in Lagos. Again, things got out of my hands and when my call up letter finally came, alas, it was Kwara. I was quite indifferent about the whole Kwara idea, as I was unsure of what Kwara looked like (never been there before) and I kind of liked the lurking adventure all together. I quickly went online to check out Kwara stuffs and the whole NYSC in Kwara; my findings left me quite discouraged, as they weren’t in any way fascinating.

So, October 23rd 2018; boom! I embarked (alongside other guys) on a six hour journey to Ilorin (Kwara state capital) and another two hour journey to Yikpata camp for the compulsory three week orientation course. Hmm…my camp experience was really terrible, extremely harsh weather conditions, military men wahala, parades and countless drills, long ques for almost everything amongst other wahalas.

DRAMA DURING THE THREE WEEK ORIENTATION CAMP

 I dodged parades, hung out with my camp guys and my camp love (Bolanle) at maami market, faked sicknesses and ran to the camp clinic for shelter, even to the NCCF chapel to pray and sleep; I was always running

Trust me, I was not ready for any stress and I was always on the run. I cannot come and go and kill myself (as fondly used in Nigerian Universities). I dodged parades, hung out with my camp guys and my camp love (Bolanle) at maami market, faked sicknesses and ran to the camp clinic for shelter, even to the NCCF chapel to pray and sleep; I was always running. Infact, my platoon leader one day said to me ‘Victor, se you won’t be useful to us for once ni?’; hmm…I had to finally join my platoon drama group (this one was easy to do) and I acted as a married Yoruba man; who was always fighting with another Hausa and Igbo men; (I think I acted well sha). I was also drafted into the Kitchen team when my platoon was to work in the kitchen. This one got me breathing really hard after the experience.

Some of my colleagues who got their letters before me were already screaming for joy…’Ilorin…thank God oo, Offa…thank God oo’. Finally, I heard KW/18C/0863 (my state code). AS I opened my posting letter, my heart beat tripled, but then...

At last, the 3 torturous weeks was over and it was judgment day (as per posting letter). Of course, I was expecting to be posted to at least the second best town in Kwara (Offa), if not the state capital (Ilorin). I even prayed and thanked God for Offa the night before and when I woke up the next morning. I was really confident that I would not be left disappointed by getting an unfavourable posting. Some of my colleagues who got their letters before me were already screaming for joy…’Ilorin…thank God oo, Offa…thank God oo’. Finally, I heard KW/18C/0863 (my state code). AS I opened my posting letter, my heart beat tripled, but then, I was left heartbroken as I saw that I had been posted to a public secondary school in one Kugiji, Kaiama local government, Baruten zone (the sound of this location frightened me). I quickly asked the drivers around and I was told that I had an 8 hour journey from camp. I almost fainted on hearing that (it was about 2:00pm when I asked) and I wondered if where I had been posted to was still within Kwara or the end of the world. Not to forget, we were severely warned at the last parade that we should go straight from camp to our place of postings and not play pranks. What were you expecting? The typical me who was always running decided to run again. I said to myself, ‘I cannot go to any yeye village to waste a whole year of my life’. I decided to get my things out of the already boarded Kaiama bus, bided my other colleagues farewell and boarded another cab to Ilorin, desperately hoping to work my way out of any jungle. Upon arriving Ilorin, I started looking around for the cheapest hotel just to pass the night and clear my already full head. With the help of my NYSC khaki, my identity card and my big bag, one hotel manager pitied me and allowed me pass the night for N2500 that night.

The next morning I went very early to the state secretariat, and tried to beg my way out of my posting, some persons advised me to quit running and return, another man told me to come back the next day and that he would help. I then remembered that I had a long time friend in UNILORIN (Emmanuel); I put a call through to him moved out of the hotel and squatted with him as I was trying hard to get out of every jungle. I kept going to the NYSC Kwara state secretariat for two whole months, and before I knew it, I had spent all the money I had on me, including the first N19800 received by hand before we left camp. I became stranded, but I was still determined not to give up.

Sadly after the two months of great toil, I had no more strength to continue fighting and I had to give up. With my heads down, I headed for Maraba motor park and finally boarded a Kaiama cab. I admitted defeat, three months into my service year. After five solid hours on very bad roads and terrains, I finally arrived Kaiama, of course so sad and depressed. I was dropped in front of the local Government corpers’ lodge, together with a few other guys who boarded the vehicle with me. After I got into my allocated room, I tried to relax and accept that I was in the right place. Asides the extremely bad roads and the long distance, it wasn’t all bad; at least there was a very very stable power supply. Henry and Abdul Gafar (my roommate) were so sweet; they took me like a brother, gave me a proper orientation of how the place worked and made me feel at home. In a few days, I met really amazing folks and I was having an already good start.

As an RCCG member, from home I decided to locate the RCCG church around, as I wasn’t going to sit at home on a Sunday. I asked around and finally found it at one end of the town, strategically located adjacent to the NCCF family house. After one of the services, a senior colleague invited me to a prayer meeting at NCCF, which I grudgingly attended. At the end of the prayer meeting, this tall, well built guy approached me as if he was sent to me. He started speaking to me like he had known me for ages. He was all encouraging, asked me to get rooted in NCCF and make the best use of my service year. His name was Ejike, the then music director of NCCF Kaiama. He later got to know that I could play the piano, and boom…he clung to me like a lice and did not let me go again. He was always calling, texting visiting and all. Ejike was the reason I stayed in NCCF and I’m forever grateful to him.

So, from being a low-key member, I started playing the piano for the voice of Bethel choir. I became really active and found myself always around the family house, though I was still staying at the corpers lodge. I didn’t know I was entering deep waters already (thanks to Ejike). The people around were so awesome; sis Sarah (always offering me beans), Janet, Amaka, Onyeka, Peter, Joseph et al. One thing led thing to another and after my first rural rugged experience to camp community, Kwara state; I moved into the family house and my service year was making sense already.

NCCF FAMILY HOUSE PROJECTS



As the colours of the NYSC khaki (white and green) symbolized, I began to experience great peace and was beginning to flourish. The location didn’t matter anymore. As Ejike advised, I started building capacity, I was reading, writing, playing the piano, was getting committed to NCCF; and then fast-forward to March 19, 2019, I was so surprisingly called into Leadership as the NCCF zonal coordinator, Kaiama zone. I was to oversee the affairs of NCCF in Kaiama local government, as well as the everyday running of the secretariat and family house that housed over twenty corp members. Although I had been a departmental fellowship president and a youth music director in my local church back on campus and held other leadership roles; this was by far a greater responsibility. It also involved a great deal of five, six, seven, hour travels on several occasions to different locations for state meetings, visits, programmes and all. I recall that in one of my travels I had to jump off a moving bike that lost control and headed for the forest. In all, God was faithful and it was an awesome experience. With the help of all my executives, we renovated the local kitchen of our family house, purchased a flat screen 32 inched plasma television, started a fencing project, organised outreaches, a crusade, a concert, and of course our rural rugged outreach at Nuku, Kwara state during my time in office. Not to forget, while I was still NCCF leader, I was appointed as the SDG(Sustainable Development Goals) CDS president and there was sure another portal open for extra responsibilities. Next, God helped me to get an internship placement as a First bank agent bank, of which I never applied; it came to me right at the NCCF family house. The salary was very attractive for a youth corper, alongside other benefits like big tubers of yams and all (smiles). I was given an official tablet and I was just balling. At this point, I had forgotten that I initially wanted to run to Ilorin.



AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AS CDS PRESIDENT

Well, I thank God because my reposting plea failed. I sure did enjoy my service year to the fullest, as God’s will prevailed over mine. HE had a better picture in mind while I was busy running up and down. Still during my service year, God helped me to purchase an acer Laptop, complete two professional courses; learnt all twelve keys on the piano; started learning graphics, started SHEKINAH CONCEPTS (an HR firm, where I was able to and still earning a few thousands of naira), saved some money and invest too. How about people? I met really amazing people. I would specifically point out Ogunniran Oladimeji Daniel (who pushed me to start up Shekinah concepts) After my service year, I have realized that NYSC was no scam for me. The experience was awesome and I was able to achieve so much. I built capacity, and got ready for the outside world; (a feat I was not able to achieve during my years on campus). I served God and I’m sure ready for big things to come.



On a concluding note, I advise everyone who has been able to read this to learn to submit to God’s  dealing and not try to run like I did initially (thank God I didn’t succeed). Somehow, you’ll come out better and you’ll be glad you stayed. Also to all those corp members posted to places they never wished to be, find the sweetness there, work on yourself, and build capacity like there’s no tomorrow. If you’ve not been doing this don’t feel bad, you can start today, get relevant skills and watch God turn your life into a masterpiece. Make the most of the one year, it’s not just for sleeping and waking up. If you can, please do NCCF! You can be world class after your service year!

This is my NYSC story!

Victor Agu

07034471326

aguvictoy60@gmail.com