The NYSC Orientation Course exercise is once in a lifetime
hence adequate preparation and information should be gathered and make use of
so as to have a befitting moment in camp. Are you ready for this ride? Let’s go!
I guess you’ve already seen what you will be going with to
the camp. Once you receive your call up
letter, it is advisable to appear in camp on the opening day or the next day.
When you arrive there; you must be stopped in the security post at the gate to
check your belongings to see if you have any of the banned items e.g. barbing
clipper, clipper, steel spoon, knife, fork, plate, cup, pot etc and any steel
material or object. The reason for this seizure is that in case of eventuality
corps members may use it for fighting and hence injure their fellow. That’s why
I advise you from the items listed to go with rubber/plastic food flask or
cooler, spoon etc. and their likes. Upon completion of the Orientation Course
whatever was seized from you will be returned to you.
Immediately you will be directed to the hostel registration
stand where you will be registered to get a room in the Hostel. Note that you
may be plus or minus 20 persons in a room. So, since you are new to each other;
you must adequately secure your belongings; your padlock(s) can work a great
deal here for you. Once you secure your bed; you guys can immediately
contribute to buy a bigger padlock to lock the general door only if it has no
key; since all your belongings needed to be secured. But security is a joint
effort of the roommate.
As you move to the registration all, be reminded to go along
with your documents e.g. call up letter, original school result, school ID,
passports etc. You may be ask to queue by your geo-political zones e.g.
North-Central, South-East, South-South, South-West etc. This may vary camp to
camp. I guess the essence of this is for effective operation and orderliness.
Note that geographical zone is not for your state of origin but the location of
your school. Please respect yourself while in queue to avoid your first
embarrassment. The registration process is divided into four stages:
Ø Collection of Call-up
Ø Verification of Call-up
Ø Citation of Result and ID (School)
Ø Online Registration
1.
Collection of Call-up: Once you are called out from the
queue; you will be directed to another queue where you would collect the
detached copy of your call up letter. You would notice that your call-up letter
was detached, so here you will be given the detached copy. To the next stage…
2.
Verification of Call-up: Here you
will submit both copies of call-up letter for verification. It is done passing
it under a mercury light to view the security code which will prove its
authenticity. You need not panic if you give them what was given to you.
3.
Citation of School
Result and ID: Since
forgery is almost everywhere; this section will check the genuity of your
result. Please ensure there are no errors in your names and grade because they
may have it and variance “may” not be condoled. In case you are a victim of
error. They may understand; but always avoid it.
4.
Online Registration: This is the last stage of your
registration process. It is in this stage you will be registered online into
the State NYSC Data Base. Upon completion, you will be given a state code
e.g. For Kano: KN/13A/0011, Enugu:
EN/13A/0224, Lagos: LA/13A/1228. From the last digit you will know your platoon
(I will talk about it later). Question
to be asked here include: your full name, call up number, school, course of
study etc. A slip will be given to you to immediately report at your platoon.
It mostly ranges from 1-10; while it may vary from camp to camp e.g. Katsina
had 13 platoons in Batch C 2012.
Being in a platoon is no difference from being in a group
like those your Group A,B,C … stuff while running as assignment, project or
group work in school; you work together as a team and accept success and
failures in activities together.
You will see your platoon officials who will instruct you to
register your name with them upon such; you will be given your NYSC Kit and
registration materials. Please pay attention here because I’m going to be
releasing secrets that will help you.
Registration
Materials: A file
with your State code containing forms, NYSC ID etc will be given to you to
appropriately fill. Directives on how to fill it will be given to you. Ask
questions where necessary to avoid mistakes. Don’t be too full of yourself to
ask question. Remember the camp is not a place of “ITK” I Too Know. This where
your stapler, glue and correcting fluid will work a great deal for you. Don’t
be surprise to a pin may cost you N20, count the number of stable and calculate
your bill...? Photocopies of your credentials you may use all through may not
be more than three (3) each. Though carrying excess is advisable because it
will cost more there.
NYSC KIT: The following will be given to you;
crested vest, cap, belt, uniform (khaki), a pair of jungle boot, a pair of
sneaker (canvass), 2 pair of socks, 2 T-shirts and 2 shorts. Note that you may
be given over-size or under-size. In the case where your own doesn’t match you;
you can ask for a change, in the case where it’s not possible; you can exchange
with a fellow corps member who is in similar need. As I write this article, my
sneaker is still unused because of oversize. Most times you may not like the
T-shirts and shorts that would be given you. This is where the ones you brought
will help you a great deal. Try to get an NYSC belt because you may not like
theirs. An advice from experience: if you are slim fitting your uniform, don’t
overdo it; don’t cut the length to your normal height or length because if you
do – after washing it, it will definitely shrink. So don’t cut or slim fit to
your normal size before washing so that you don’t regret it. A free advice!!!
To be forewarned is to be forearmed. 
FOOD: Upon registration, a meal ticket
(card) will be issued to you for your meal. I must confess here that the meal
can’t be compared to when you are at home. You will be 3 times daily. But friend;
you’ve got to adjust o. Some persons that went to the camp with enough money
will bullshit the meal and face “mammy market” where things are kind of cost.
At the long run, you see them coming to queue up for the same food they
rejected because their money is up. Some may continue and even become debtors
and use their allowance to upset their debts. So you know how to go about it.
Sometimes they cook good food but not all times. This is where your beverages
will help you a great deal. Imagine receiving watery tea and bread for
breakfast? Don’t ignore it. Collect it and simply add your tea, milk etc. to
make it rich to your taste. Imagine on a Sunday, normally where we expect to
eat rice and chicken, guess what? We were given rice and a tiny reflection of
chicken, a fellow corps member called it “a thought of chicken” This varies in
camps anyway. Let’s move on to other things.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (CDS): During your service year; you will be required to participate in CDS.
This is done every Thursday in your PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) in the
camp, organization like: Millennium Development Goals MDG, Road Safety, EFCC,
HIV, NEMA, NDLEA – Drug Free Club, Red Cross, Skill Acquisition, Drama Group,
Brigade etc. You will be trained by
personnel from these groups. So prepare your mind and know the one you would
be. Its essence is to train you to train others else you will be trained by
your fellow corps member. Remember this is a humanitarian service you will be
rendering during your service year.
PARADE:
All through your camping period, you will be made to wear your white
t-shirts and shorts all through the three (3) weeks except Fridays and Sundays
for Muslims and Christians respectively you are allowed to be on mufti. You’ll
be wake up early hours say 4-5am for parade that involves drills, matching etc.
trust me you can do it. You will be appearing on parade ground by platoon.
Trust me this is just to select the best guys who can match very well. At the
long run, you guys will be separated during parade time. Anyway the choice is
yours.
NYSC
ANTHEM: Make sure
you learn it very well even the national anthem (both stanza). Funny enough,
not all graduates can accurately recite the national item. Please prospective
corps members should represent us (your school) well o.
Youth obey the clarion call, let us lift our
nation high, under the sun or in the rain, with dedication and selflessness,
Nigeria is ours Nigeria we serve!
Guess I have spoken much? I stop here! I hope you find this
resourceful and helpful. Feel free to leave a comment and you will be replied
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God bless you and have a nice time in camp. Watch out for more exciting
articles!
