Dr_Tosin:

I served in Rivers state, in 1991/1992. We were camped was at the college of education Ndele, the rooms in the hostel are doorless just like the poster said. I had a wonderful experience during my service year, maybe because i served with Shell in Port Harcourt. I found the people warm and friendly. I still consider Port Harcourt as one of my favourite cities in Nigeria.

Iranoladun:

For all those who were wondering how I managed to remember everything that happened over 15 years ago I have this to tell you.  Some people are blessed with good memories for events; I happen to be one of them.  Although, I never claimed that I recalled all that happen during my NYSC year.

On the issue of Rivers state “being located in the east” , read my post on the 1st page again.  I never made such claim what I wrote and I quote was “I have spent all my life in the west (Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Kwara) and have never been to the east”.

Yes, Aero contractor was operating flights then in the early 90’s in fact from what I gathered they were in Nigeria initially for chartered flights on the invitation of the Oil companies before they became a commercial airline.  I remember I paid N500 (yes five hundred naira) for the flight to Port Harcourt.

For those who feel it is a waste of time please oblige me by clicking on another thread!
Now back to my story:

I arrived back in the hostel with one thought in my mind; how I’m going to take my bath in a hostel without a bathroom! However, trust our survival instincts. My colleagues in conjunction with some male Corpers have constructed a make-shift bathroom with bamboo palms and wood even with a door.  All you need to do to use the bathroom is to go with at least 2 wrappers (large sheet) that you’d need to cover the peeping holes amongst the bamboo leaves/palms.  Anyway, that bamboo bathroom was my ‘Jacuzzi’ throughout the camp period.

The dining area was close to my hostel and breakfast was set for around 8am (can’t recall the exact time).  A platoon was in charge of the kitchen. Oh, I forgot to mention that each platoon was made to take turn in the preparation of food for a day in line with a roster drawn up by the Platoon Commandant.

I recalled my first breakfast, it was Akara (Bean Cake) and Pap (the meal was okay as I’m Yoruba). Although some of my fellow Corpers felt the meal was horrible and had to visit the mammy Market for alternatives.  I only supplement my meal with sugar since NYSC did not serve us sugar with our pap.

The first day activity consists of us assembling in the hall for briefing and preparation for the swearing in parade scheduled for the next day.  After the briefing I roamed round the camp in order to familiarize myself with my environment.  I visited the mammy market, checked other hostel and along the way met my hostel mate Caroline Umezi (I reserved the story of my Christmas experience in her village for another day) who was also doing the same thing.  She has been in camp earlier than me and she instantly became my camp guide.  She took me to the buka (restaurants) and even showed me her favorite which is located near the camp main entrance.  A plate of food cost N10 (ten naira) with a cup of ice-cold water to go with it (there was no pure water then and only the rich could afford bottled water- Ragolis or Swan).

We returned just in time for the lunch which Caroline did not want to miss but as for me I don’t take lunch.  I thereby donated my lunch to a guy who was sitting near us in the dinning. His name is Chinedu (can’t recall his surname). He ended up chatting us up and we discovered that he’s in Caroline Platoon.  Over a period of days he indicated interest in dating me but I was not interested so he went for Caroline and the romance commenced. 

Caroline and I became friends.  She loves Physical Training like me (being a daughter of a military man), she mixes easily with people of diverse nature, she also loves variety when it come to food and was willing to try new/strange food. She has a cousin in Port Harcourt and being a citizen of Imo state she blends easily with the environment and culture more than me.

I benefitted from Chinedu and Caroline relationship while at the camp. I was always invited when Chinedu is taking Caroline out for lunch or dinner or simply having fun doing Corper’s window shopping at the mammy market, photograph session, games e.g. ludo, scramble etc. 

Through Caroline I met another friend Ahunna Anosike and Oby (cann’t recall her surname).  Ahunna happened to be a fashionable Corper and Oby was a beautiful girl in all ramifications but definitely was more sophisticated than all of us.  The four of us became friend and that friendship almost cost us our service year.  A day to passing out parade, we went on AWOL.  Oby claimed she was invited by her friend to a birthday party and also extended the invitation to Ahunna, Caroline and I.  Caroline and I initially declined but we were persuaded by Ahunna to attend the party.  We naively accepted the invitation.  I was curious in how we were going to beat the fierce looking soldiers at the camp gate in order to sneak out. Oby assured us that all the arrangement has been taken care of.  The party was set for 8pm and we were to leave during dinner via the bush.
We all dressed in our best.  I was wearing my jeans and a T-shirt with my loafer. We succeeded in getting to the main road without being seen by any of the soldier.

I’d be right back

Iranoladun:

For all those who were wondering how I managed to remember everything that happened over 15 years ago I have this to tell you.  Some people are blessed with good memories for events; I happen to be one of them.  Although, I never claimed that I recalled all that happen during my NYSC year.

On the issue of Rivers state “being located in the east” , read my post on the 1st page again.  I never made such claim what I wrote and I quote was “I have spent all my life in the west (Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Kwara) and have never been to the east”.

Yes, Aero contractor was operating flights then in the early 90’s in fact from what I gathered they were in Nigeria initially for chartered flights on the invitation of the Oil companies before they became a commercial airline.  I remember I paid N500 (yes five hundred naira) for the flight to Port Harcourt.

For those who feel it is a waste of time please oblige me by clicking on another thread!
Now back to my story:

[color=#770077]I arrived back in the hostel with one thought in my mind; how I’m going to take my bath in a hostel without a bathroom! However, trust our survival instincts. My colleagues in conjunction with some male Corpers have constructed a make-shift bathroom with bamboo palms and wood even with a door.  All you need to do to use the bathroom is to go with at least 2 wrappers (large sheet) that you’d need to cover the peeping holes amongst the bamboo leaves/palms.  Anyway, that bamboo bathroom was my ‘Jacuzzi’ throughout the camp period.

The dining area was close to my hostel and breakfast was set for around 8am (can’t recall the exact time).  A platoon was in charge of the kitchen. Oh, I forgot to mention that each platoon was made to take turn in the preparation of food for a day in line with a roster drawn up by the Platoon Commandant.

I recalled my first breakfast, it was Akara (Bean Cake) and Pap (the meal was okay as I’m Yoruba). Although some of my fellow Corpers felt the meal was horrible and had to visit the mammy Market for alternatives.  I only supplement my meal with sugar since NYSC did not serve us sugar with our pap.

Iranoladun:


The first day activity consists of us assembling in the hall for briefing and preparation for the swearing in parade scheduled for the next day.  After the briefing I roamed round the camp in order to familiarize myself with my environment.  I visited the mammy market, checked other hostel and along the way met my hostel mate Caroline Umezi (I reserved the story of my Christmas experience in her village for another day) who was also doing the same thing.  She has been in camp earlier than me and she instantly became my camp guide.  She took me to the buka (restaurants) and even showed me her favorite which is located near the camp main entrance.  A plate of food cost N10 (ten naira) with a cup of ice-cold water to go with it (there was no pure water then and only the rich could afford bottled water- Ragolis or Swan).

We returned just in time for the lunch which Caroline did not want to miss but as for me I don’t take lunch.  I thereby donated my lunch to a guy who was sitting near us in the dinning. His name is Chinedu (can’t recall his surname). He ended up chatting us up and we discovered that he’s in Caroline Platoon.  Over a period of days he indicated interest in dating me but I was not interested so he went for Caroline and the romance commenced. 

Caroline and I became friends.  She loves Physical Training like me (being a daughter of a military man), she mixes easily with people of diverse nature, she also loves variety when it come to food and was willing to try new/strange food. She has a cousin in Port Harcourt and being a citizen of Imo state she blends easily with the environment and culture more than me.

I benefitted from Chinedu and Caroline relationship while at the camp. I was always invited when Chinedu is taking Caroline out for lunch or dinner or simply having fun doing Corper’s window shopping at the mammy market, photograph session, games e.g. ludo, scramble etc. 

Through Caroline I met another friend Ahunna Anosike and Oby (cann’t recall her surname).  Ahunna happened to be a fashionable Corper and Oby was a beautiful girl in all ramifications but definitely was more sophisticated than all of us.  The four of us became friend and that friendship almost cost us our service year.  A day to passing out parade, we went on AWOL.  Oby claimed she was invited by her friend to a birthday party and also extended the invitation to Ahunna, Caroline and I.  Caroline and I initially declined but we were persuaded by Ahunna to attend the party.  We naively accepted the invitation.  I was curious in how we were going to beat the fierce looking soldiers at the camp gate in order to sneak out. Oby assured us that all the arrangement has been taken care of.  The party was set for 8pm and we were to leave during dinner via the bush.
We all dressed in our best.  I was wearing my jeans and a T-shirt with my loafer. We succeeded in getting to the main road without being seen by any of the soldier.

I’d be right back[/color]

na2day?:

1991? full respect to u sir! i want to believe your generation was among those that truly served nigeria, my generation and beyond sucks! we are way too self centered and do not deserve to wear the nysc uniform

illusion2:

Speak for yourself dude !

Jaytee67:

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I am not too sure there is aerocontractor in Nigeria then. I served in 1992/93 service year in Enugu. We camped at Awgu Camp. May be poster has forgotten the airline she used. What do you think?