An interesting story every corp member should read

Written by Iam Olaolowo…
BBM: D1F54C20
This story is dedicated to all Corp members currently serving and all ex- Corp member Nationwide. May God bless our hustle! Long Live Nigeria!
Also a special dedication to a friend, who we both camped together in Kangere, Samuel Okonta who lost his life (while serving his fatherland) during the River state election on the 19th of March 2016. Rest in Peace brother…


Episode 1

The Build up to how it all began
22nd of October 2015 was a day I won’t forget in my life. Prior to the reports and news going nationwide that the call up letter would be released on the 21st of October, I put a call through to Ugo and Dare popularly known as vision 2020. I called them to check at their offices (since I don’t have an internet connection here) to know if truly the call up letter has been released. Ugo later called back and gave a negative report. Vision also called back and gave the same negative report and that really made me tensed. I hardly think of anything else rather than seeing the state I am being posted to and let preparation begins in full.
Am sure you might be wondering who I am. I am Ola Olowo born into a family of three, all males and also the last born of the family. An art student, and also the first person in my family to go for NYSC. Being one of the guys wey sabi schools for my department, lots of my course mates had to call me to get the latest information about the call up letter then I decided to check different sites to gets latest information about it. I visited N-------d and I saw different post of people also waiting for the NYSC batch B call up letter for 2015.
Then something struck my mind. TWITTER. That’s the fastest place to get information on anything and any latest going all round the world. I searched for the NYSC official twitter handled I got it, followed the handle, and keeping tabs with all the activities going on there.
From their twitter handle, I got latest updates on it and I never stopped checking and refreshing the tweets on their timeline. Nigerian students are one of the best in the world. Come see insult upon insults. Am sure the operator of the NYSC twitter handle must be really pissed off. While some were asking good and meaningful question, some were raining curses and abuses on NYSC, comparing the release of the NYSC call up letter with the long awaited ministerial list long ago which was delayed by our able president.
It was Past 3pm, something tells me to check the twitter handle again. I picked up my Nokia x2 palasa phone which I have been using for over 4years, (don’t mind me, is Nigeria economy cause am) opened the browser and straight to NYSC handle and began to see testimonies of some peoples saying they’ve checked and printed their call up letter. I couldn’t believe it though and I needed to confirm from at least 3 people before spreading the news round to my guys who were anxiously waiting too. After confirming from 3 people from the handle, I decided to call Ugo.
Me: Ochuko, e don happen o
Ugo: Olowo, you better talk true because tension wan kill me for here o
Me: sure, I have confirmed it on their twitter account. Please check and call me back.
After dropping the call, I put a call across to vision and iya ijo. I was feeling uneasy and kept walking up and down the office like a husband whose wife is inside the labour room waiting for the doctor’s arrival for a good news. I started navigating the quality control office, to my office, then to the darkroom. After waiting for like forever for Ugo’s call, I decided to call him myself.
Me: Ugo, waiting dey worry you now? You want make I do orientation camp for hospital
Ugo: (sighs) Olowo na Yobe ooo

Episode 2

Me: (screams)! What? All attention was shifted to me in the quality control office.
I ran inside the darkroom and told him to check mine. He requested for my e-mail and password which I sent to him immediately I hanged up. After 20 minutes, Ugo called me back and shouted Olowo, we are together, but we will be camping at Jigawa. Ugo was sounding excited, I couldn’t believe it. Ugo further stated that we both fall into the second stream which is 25th of November 2015. Ugo again? I know you might be wondering why I said that. Ugo and I had been together since our ND days back at the polytechnic Ibadan. We belonged to the same clique. No be cult o. (laughs). Ugo and I alongside Benji and A.Y are good friends. We tagged ourselves the fantastic 4. Ugo and Benji was in the same dept (bus admin), A.Y was in accounting dept, while I was in the public administration dept. After our ND days, and Ugo and I went to Osun state to have our HND programme while A.Y got a job at Portharcourt. Benji had some issues so he couldn’t continue with us. I can’t believe Ugo and I have been posted to the same state to serve our fatherland sure it was going to be a good outing. I called my guys (vision and iya ijo) to update them. They were scared and happy (you know that kind of feelings now). Vision begged me to check his own and when I did, I couldn’t believe the almighty vision has been posted to Zamfara. Iya ijo, on other hand was posted to Niger state; fair enough I guess. Taiwo too was posted to Jigawa but due to one reason or the other, she couldn’t go.
The following Monday was quiet for me as I was in deep s--t of how to get money to start buying things. During the day, I was checking on naira land to get details of the Fanisau camp in Jigawa. I got into the discussion too and I saw a guy who dropped his number for a group chat for all prospective corp member going to Jigawa. I added the number on whatsapp and I joined the group where I met some new friends. I decided to check out the people in the group, added some for some discussion but only one of them stood out; her name……. Janelle.
Janelle is a fair lady according to her D.P we chatted generally about what to do expect in camp and the things to hold and not to hold. We kept talking like old friends. From our discussion, I got to know that she schooled in Calabar but she’s from Imo state. She is one of the crazy type that is fun to be with (oops, chat with I meant). My chat with Janelle continued and I was beginning to enjoy her company whenever she was online. We talked on phone some couple of times, chatted about 2 hours a day and another thing I noticed about her sharp mouth. I have once attribute her mouth with knew, blades, cutlass and sharp thing you can think of. From our chat, I realized that she is for older than me but she chatted maturely like we’ve known each other for years.
Seriously speaking, I’ve been spending more minutes and time on chats with Janelle. Most times we chat till my battery got drained. What would you expect from a blackberry?
Janelle and I continued chatting about the journey to Jigawa and lots of discussions going on in the group. A certain guy named ‘’west’’ created another group for prospective corp members who are leaving from Lagos state. Mr. West came out later in the group and declared that the transport fare from Lagos to Fanisau camp in Jigawa will cost each person N6,500. While some agreed to his price, some other people complained bitterly that the price was just too much. You know Nigeria student now? There is nothing they can’t price. Will you blame us? I remember one of my friends back in Ibadan pricing loaves of bread. Imagine! Them they price bread again?

Read Episode 3 Here