The Clarion Call

By Izuchukwu Banks

The Clarion Call is a new publication by Mr. Izuchukwu Banks. Novels utilizing the national youth service corps theme are not rare in the country, but The Clarion Call deals with that first place of call for prospective corps members, the orientation camp. The orientation camp is many things for many people.

Mr. Izuchukwu Banks X-rays the activities that go on in the enclosed place that serves as a community for a lot of young people. It is liked and it is hated. What goes on within the camp can best be imagined than discussed. With ears and eyes for sounds and events, the author takes us through the "village". It is an interesting piece that could have been written only by an insider.

It is hoped that the book will be widely circulated and the NYSC management will adopt it for all corps members. It is highly recommended.

Rems Umeasiegbu, PH.D

Professor of English.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Izuchukwu Banks
• Release date: Mar 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386250975

Book preview

FORWARD

The Clarion Call is a new publication by Mr. Izuchukwu Banks. Novels utilizing the national youth service corps theme are not rare in the country, but The Clarion Call deals with that first place of call for prospective corps members, the orientation camp. The orientation camp is many things for many people.

Mr. Izuchukwu Banks X-rays the activities that go on in the enclosed place that serves as a community for a lot of young people. It is liked and it is hated. What goes on within the camp can best be imagined than discussed. With ears and eyes for sounds and events, the author takes us through the village. It is an interesting piece that could have been written only by an insider.

It is hoped that the book will be widely circulated and the NYSC management will adopt it for all corps members. It is highly recommended.

Rems Umeasiegbu, PH.D

Professor of English.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Man is a social being, no matter how comfortable he may seem to be he cannot do without the assistance of others.

I remain indebted to God Almighty for His immeasurable blessings to me and or making every individual a different character. I am equally grateful to the Holy Spirit my greatest counselor.

To all that have influenced my life positively or negatively, I remain grateful. Special thanks to my beloved parents Mr. Dominic U. Njoku and Mrs. Angela Njoku, all my siblings and other extended family members as well as relatives.

My editor Professor Rems Nnanyelugo Umeasiegbu, thanks for your assistance and ever timely support.

To my good friends, thanks for being friends indeed. And to my phoney friends, thanks for teaching me the difference between a good friend and a phoney friend.

To my heroes immortal Pope John Paul II (the immortal peace and justice advocate) and Tupac Amaru Shakur (the immortal rapper and poet) special thanks for your inspirations to me.

To Professor Pita Ejiofor, the Staff, Students and Alumni of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, warm regards.

I am equally grateful to the management of NYSC Awka Anambra State, especially Rev. A. T Ajayi (The State Co-ordinator) and Mr. Princewell Uzoho  (P.R. Unit) for devoting their time to read and recommend this text. I also thank Major Effion of Six Brigade Uyo for his assistance.

Above all, I thank Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) for having taught Nigerians to always make provision for the alternative since electric power should not be expected always. I also thank MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel, Etisalat and others for their reasonable competition in moving Nigerians ahead.

CONTENTS

Chapter One: The Mobilization.

Chapter Two: The Check-in Time.

Chapter Three: Now, You Shouldn’t Complain.

Chapter Four: The Registration proper.

Chapter Five: Now, You Should Concentrate.

Chapter Six: The Controversy.

Chapter Seven: The Social Activities.

Chapter Eight: The Mental Orientation.

Chapter Nine: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Chapter Ten: The Physical drills & the Prejudice.

Chapter Eleven: The Groove & the Misery.

Chapter Twelve: The Critical Assignment.

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to the NYSC Director General Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi. To all the State Co-ordinators and the entire NYSC staff nationwide.

PREFACE

Nigeria is a multi-cultural nation; the NYSC was introduced to fuse together the sub-cultures. Even though it is clear that the amalgamation issue of 1914 was for the administrative convenience of our colonial masters, it is still reasonable to state that God is not unaware of the situation.

The adoption of the English Language as the Lingua Franca has helped a great deal in solving the problem of multi-lingualism in Nigeria. However, the indigenous languages as well as the different cultures continue to exist no matter how Westernized the people may pretend to be, this explains why one can rightly say that the NYSC scheme is the true taste of the real Nigerian nature.

The Clarion Call aims at acquainting the Nigerian Undergraduates or simply the Prospective Corps Members with the necessary information for the orientation course and gear up their effective participation in the one-year program.

Prospective Corps Members have always exhibited the actions of the typical Johnny Just Come or J.J.C, especially at the NYSC orientation camp. This is because they most often lack some necessary information before their participation, this is wrong.

This work is meant for the reading pleasure of every other individual, but its aim is to expose the situation at the orientation camp during the NYSC program. It will be useful to everybody, especially the Nigerian Undergraduates and the Prospective Corps members. Accordingly it could be referred to as the National Youth Service Guide.

Izuchukwu Banks

CHAPTER ONE

The Mobilization

Benson is one of those that strongly oppose the one-year youth service program, which comes next after graduation from the university or some other higher institutions. He personally developed a strong distaste for the program ever since his beloved cousin Chidi died during the national service course. He also considers the youth service a nightmare to their extended family because the late Chidi was the first person from their kindred to have participated in it, but never came back home alive.

Soon after their successful graduation, Benson’s colleagues were preoccupied with taking the necessary steps to be certified for the youth service program. But from all indication, Benson unlike them, seemed not to have cared a jot about the exercise.

One year after his graduation, people started bothering Benson with questions almost on a daily basis about why he has never gone for the youth service. Questions like these usually sound very unpleasant to the ears of many young graduates that have not participated in the program. But Benson usually stand tall to defend himself each time or each day such a question is thrown to him.

His greatest annoyance is that people generally accept the program to be the only criterion to adjudge a successful graduate; even those that never neared the walls of