With less than 5 days to the
commencement of the National Youth
Service Corps, NYSC, 2015 Batch ‘A’
orientation course, this piece was
compiled to educate the prospective
Corps Members and any other interested
party on what to expect in and outside the
NYSC Camp.
If we recall, the NYSC 2015 Batch ‘A’
orientation course starts on 5th, of May
and ends on 26th, May 2015.
Please as you read, kindly share with your
friends too.
1. Prepare Your Mind:
First and foremost, you need to prepare
your mind that you are leaving home for
a regimented life in the camp. Life in the
camp is deliberately made stressful so as
to prepare you for any challenge that may
confront you outside the camp.
You will not find it too comfortable, It’s a
camp and not your Father’s house! Just be
ready for anything.
2. Itemize All Your Needs Using A Scale Of
Preference (very important ones first):
1. Very Important Ones
a. Statement of Result
b. School ID Card
c. Passport photographs (30 copies,
Surplus is better than inadequacy)
d. Call-Up Letter (DO NOT laminate it
please)
e. A Clear Bag file (To house the above
items)
NB: Get 10 photocopies each of items A,B,
and D above. The copies may be surplus.
2. Important Ones (For your Convenience)
a. Stapler, pin and office gum (will save
you the stress of ‘borrow-me’)
b. Two or three white T-shirts and shorts
(You will be given two sets but you may
not like the quality)
c. Two or three pairs of socks and a white
rubber tennis shoes (for rainy days)
d. Bathroom slippers and Dettol
f. Two plastic buckets (You can buy it in
the camp but it will be more expensive)
and a permanent marker
g. Sponge and its case, bath-soap and
detergent
h. Bedsheet, towel and wrapper and two
pairs of casual wear
i. Mosquito Net (not compulsory)
j. Handkerchiefs (very important
especially for those that sweat)
k. Waist bag (very very important for
housing your phones, ID Cards,
Handkerchief, biros, etc)
l. Novels
m. Small-sized Torchlight/Rechargeable
lamp (small one please)
n. Your ATM card(s)
o. Cooler cup and spoon
p. Phone and charger
q. Beverages
r. Ladies could add any other few
conveniences. I believe you understand
me
s. Money! Money! Money! Hold good cash
please depending on how you spend
3. Go Early:
Please, no matter how close the camp
might be to your street, enable to go
early. If you are posted to a far state, go
the day before the camp opens. They will
allow you in. Going late will make you go
through registration stress. Be warned!
4. Screening:
The screening starts at the gate, where
your loads are open and thoroughly
searched. They don’t want you to bring in
prohibited items like iron, knives, bombs,
etc.
5. Registration:
The first registration will certainly be for
hostel/bedspace, where you;ll be given
tags to identify with. Then the paper
registrations proper follows. try as much
as possible to make everything available.
Look out for information pasted on walls.
Follow instructions strictly.
6. Your Kits:
During the registration, you will get all
your kits (shirts, shorts and shoes). Use
the marker to write your Code Number
(CN) on them ‘sharp-sharp” You will also
be given a tag that will show your CN. That
will be your ID Card temporarily. You take
it everywhere in camp. You will be given a
meal ticket. Misplace it and forget about
NYSC food.
7. Duration:
You will be in the camp for 20 full days.
The 21st day is the day you will be leaving
the camp.
8. No Room For Casual Wears:
Immediately you have your kits, only your
T-shirt and shorts with the tennis shoe are
allowed on you. No room for casual
wears. Parade/marching training starts
immediately. The soldiers will not give you
breathing space at all. You will have the
first one that same Day One. Watch Out!
people could be fainting on the Parade
Ground. You won’t faint, calm down… So
eat well. It’s the stress that causes their
fainting.
9. Morning Regimented Programme:
A small trumpet wakes you at 4am.
Everybody gathers at the Parade Ground
(PG) at 4:30am. You have your praise,
worship and prayer the Christian and
Muslim ways. After the morning
admonitions, by 7am, breakfast follows!
After eating, you will be called out again
for the series of programmes lined up for
you. Then you have your lunch. Rest a
little and you are out again for evening
parade. Then later your dinner. This will
repeat itself everyday perhaps except on
Sunday.
10. Hate The Food And Feed Yourselves At
Your Costs:
You may not like the food. You can always
go to the Mammy Market (MM) i.e the
Camp Market to fill your ‘tank’ with
delicacies at your cost.
11. Stealing:
Stealing is prevalently prevailing at the
Camp. This is ‘legalised’. They can steal
anything. Be wise.
12. Soldiers:
Please i beckon on you all to respect and
obey them. although they are not
permitted to beat you, however, they can
punish you. No walking, its all jogging
when they call you. Don’t prostrate or
kneel down greeting a soldier. Do it the
soldier way. They could be friendly
anyway.
13. Allawe:
Your first allowance (#19, 800) will be
given to you in the camp, and it will be in
cash. All other ones will be through the
bank. You will also get Bicycle Allowance.
14. Photography:
Photographers are going to be
everywhere ready to snap you, please be
prudent in spending.
15. By Now Your Done With Camp And
Going To Your Place Of Primary
Assignment:
You will be posted from the camp to
where you will work. The place you work
in is called your Place of Primary
Assignment (PPA). Hear this: most Corps
members, I mean about 90% of the
Corpers will be posted to schools
(especially primary and secondary
schools). Only VERY FEW will be posted to
the universities, polytechnics and
Colleges. Please! Don’t lobby for your
posting. Don’t pay anybody for assistance.
Pray rather than pay. Gone are the days
when Corps Members are posted to
Banks and Co. Receive the shocking or
expected postings as you receive your
letters with joy. It’s a clarion call to
service; that’s what dey call it.
16. Transportation Out Of Camp:
When you get your Posting Letter, the first
place to go to is your PPA. If you are
identified with the Fellowship in camp,
you may first report at the temporary
lodge they will provide. Then you could
report at your PPA later same day or the
following day. Please, when you leave the
camp, home- sweet-home will be on your
mind, having been used up in the camp.
But please, don’t go home straight. Please!
Very few of your employers (i.e. PPAs) will
send down vehicles to convey you from
the camp to their workplaces. Private and
some Govt higher education institutions
do. The Fellowship too make arrangement
for you at your cost. Commercial
transporters will likely be
available at the gate too. Be wise.
17. Accommodation At PPA:
You don’t know anybody in Benue or Kogi!
Where will you sleep on the first day? The
Fellowship may give you a temporary
accommodation pending the time you will
have to get yours. You could be lucky if
your employer gives you a room. Many of
them don’t give Corpers accommodation
anyway. So be prepared to rent one at
your cost. Your first ‘allowee’ which you
received in the camp is already going
down!
18. Clearance:
This is why you don’t have to go home
straight. Your registration (clearance) at
the NYSC Office in the Local Govt you will
be posted to is important. Failure to
complete it before going home is the
beginning of your problem. He may begin
to have problems with his subsequent
monthly allowances. Do all registrations
first. Then you can take permission to go
home. Long process! You will know why
it’s so. Well, I hope these few tips will go a
long way to help you.
In order to ensure a seamless registration
process, printing of call-up letters and so
on, prospective corps members are urged
to visit these NYSC sites below:
www.nysc.gov.ng
www.nysc.org.ng
www.portal.nysc.gov.ng
Best of lucks!!!
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
