First and foremost, this is a kinda rough draft but I feel like doing this for a start. Enjoy!
Despite being born and raised in Lagos, I had never heard of any NYSC Orientation Camp in the state. Immediately I was posted to Lagos State for my service, I developed anxiety because of my kind of person.
"How would I cope in such an environment?" To worsen matters, none of my friends was posted to Lagos.
I arrived at the Orientation Camp after a two-hour or so ride that cost me #2500. I had a travel companion in my cousin, who was also posted to Lagos for his NYSC.
At the gate, I was accosted by vendors selling all sorts of ridiculous stuff to then-PCMs (us, the otondos). I remember a woman persuading me to buy a bucket and bowl for #1200 on the premise that the buckets inside would cost far more. Someone brought me a branded NYSC lapel for #500 and told me it was important to buy it. Luckily for me, I had run out of cash doing some late shopping the day before, so I couldn't buy anything from them. Weeks later, I got to learn that one of my roommates, Faruq, spent close to 5k outside the gate 😂😂😂😂😂.
As soon as I entered the place, the air around me changed and I knew I had come to a different reality. I went through all the stress of registration and all, then I realised that my box was not loaded into the bus kept at the gate to help us transport our luggage to the hostel. I needed a couple of stuff from the box and I returned to the gate, where I found it. That was where the camp drama started.
Welcome to my camp story!
When I tried to carry my box into the hostel, a policeman we later came to know as 'Ijebu Connect' stopped me and asked to search the box. No wahala, I opened it. Ijebu Connect started throwing out my stuff on the floor. Ah! There and then, I knew I would have a problem with this Ijebu Connect guy.
On sighting my provisions, IC exclaimed and made an ill-advised comment on the effects my consumption of sugar would have on my future. Funny enough, there was no single grain or cube of sugar in my luggage that day. Na from there IC buy market for my hand.
After successfully scattering my stuff and turning it upside-down, IC cleared me and released my luggage. I managed to squeeze everything back into the box and left the place for my hostel.
Before I settled, I put my name down as a Red Cross volunteer on the first day of camp. I also wrote my name as one of the footballers for my Platoon, but I didn't later go through with the football. Looking back, I'd say it was one of my smartest choices cos omo! Those guys played like it was the World Cup or something o. Especially those Platoon Four boys, they played with so much anger and rage.
Room 14
On completing my registration, I was allocated a bed space in Room 14, and I narrowly missed out on being the Room Leader. I for flex muscle like mad!! Immediately I entered the room, I scanned and chose a bed beside the window. I met a couple of guys in the room, and against my nature, I greeted them and even asked them to tell me their names, much to my own surprise. We were going to be stuck together for the best part of a month, so there was no harm in knowing each other. We got our kits and everybody started hustling. Those kits were out of this world.
First, my shorts felt like they were made from cardboard. They did not look or feel like they were made for human use at all. Then came the T-shirts. They were just as atrocious as the shorts were. The shoes were a couple sizes too small, and the socks were bad in their own way. I found the khaki manageable because I managed to leave camp without a major tear, that was a huge W for me. Honestly, the kits were bad. Very very bad.
Remember my cousin? He took the bed under mine and our room was soon filled. There were 24 of us in the room. On the first day, everyone kept to themselves except those who came with their friends, so there was not much to say.
I quickly found the mosque, and it was surprisingly very well set-up with quality rugs, its own generator, running water, sockets and lots of fans. It was a brilliant place to be, tbh.
I saw a number of my classmates from school on my first day, but I had no relationship with them from school so we just said Hi and went on our separate ways.
After a long day, everyone was eager to go to bed and sleep ahead of the proper start of camping.
I know I may have already said this once, but camp started for me on the second day! I hope to be able to continue now that I've started, at least.
PCMs- Prospective Corps Members
IC- Ijebu Connect
