Diary of A Lagos State Corper

The Most Crazy Experience

Days 4 Thursday 16th June 2016 to Day 6 Saturday 18th June, 2016 was followed with the same routine.

Wake up by 3.00AM, morning Devotion, morning drills, breakfast, parade, lunch, siesta, evening parade, social activities and lights out.

Day 8 Monday 20th June, 2016 to Day 12 Friday 24th June, 2016 was all about seminars, parade practice, Volley ball, football, Carnival, Big-Bold-Beautiful Contest and lots more social activities.

Something extraordinary happened on Friday Evening social event was the much awaited Mr Macho and Miss NYSC Beauty Pageant.

That beautiful Friday evening I went for Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship(NCCF) then later attended the Beauty Pageant. The Pageant lasted till around 11pm. After the results were announced, I went back to the hostel. Climbed my bed and tried to sleep but the high and energy of evening event didn't allow that sleep to come soon. My room mates were trying to give their own accession of who should have won and who shouldn't have. Of course everybody was speaking for her platoon. After about an hour sleep finally came.

Day 13 Saturday, 25th June, 2016 at 12:10am, which was 10 minutes after I have slept off, the annoying trumpet sounded. Uuggghhhh! I thought there was a fire but to my greatest dismay the soldiers were calling us out into the cold breeze of the morning.

My chest starting pounding, someone was trying to make pounded yam in my head, my eyes were heavy, my legs were wobbly but since no one forced me to NYSC camp I had to drag myself outside.

Sit down was the first command we got immediately we went outside. Thank God, I said to myself at least I can continue from where I stopped(#sleepingthingsactivated) but that was just my fantasy because we were ordered to stand.

Sit! Stand!
Sit!! Stand!!
Sit!!! Stand!!! and this went on for like ten times.
I started wondering what our offence was when the Parade Commandant started addressing us.

Parade Commandant: Gentlemen Corp Members, you have disappointed me. Some of our corp members jumped the fence and went to town, the police have picked them up and you are going to start mentioning their names else we will stay here till they arrive.

Me: (talking to myself) Ahhh! How is it possible to know all the people in your platoon talkless of 2,740 corp members.
My thoughts were interrupted when the parade Commandant continued shivering with anger...

Parade Commandant: Secondly, you people steal too much. You walk around instead of jogging, you disobey authorities, you don't greet the camp officials.

Corp members you are the LEAST group of people in Camp. The cleaners, the cooks, the security men and women are have higher ranks than you as far as this camp is concerned. (the speech was long...too long and I was dozing off to lala land. #lol

He now ordered us to kneel down and talk to God #hahahahaha (it wasn't funny that morning under the cold breeze). He gave us the following prayer points;

•••¤ Ask God to forgive you for stealing your fellow corp members properties...PRAYERS

•••¤ Pray to God that when you hear the trumpet you will be punctual to the parade ground...PRAYERS

•••¤ Ask God to help you remember to greet your camp officials because you age the least in the camp...PRAYERS.

At 02:30AM, we were allowed to go back to bed but we must greet all the camp officials Goodmorning, Good afternoon, Good evening. So the greetings started from Platoon 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and before it was platoon 9's turn it was half 03.00AM.

I went to the hostel and showered, getting ready for the morning Devotion and drills. 25th June, 2016, Saturday Day I will not forget in a hurry and I never recovered from that stressful night till day 17th that we left camp. I shiver when I think of that night.