My Journey Into The North

by Oladeji Zephaniah (Nigeria)

A leap into the unknown Nigeria

My Journey Into The North Going down the memory lane. It was my time to serve my father land as a Nigerian Corp member. I obtain form online and fill in the application form . It is a usual ordeal as a Nigerian corp member to pick four location from the geo political zones of the country.That day I was left with some few option to pick. I then pick my choice from the available states where I picked state like kwara, ogun, rivers and Adamawa. Not until I got home that I was told the depth of the choice I have made. My parent believed that it was a wrong choice, as they claimed. All this worries and fear were triggered because of the recent uproar of terrorism in the northern part of the country. I started to make research about the state Adamawa as if I had known that was where I will be posted. I got to know it one of the farthiest cities to visit from the south-western region of the country. I will need not less than 28hours to access the state be road. The day came when we were finally mobilized. I was posted to Adamawa I became more worried. Before then I was priviledged by GOD to handle a construction project which kicked off a week before I was mobilized. The taught dropped into my heart that I should deffer the call to serve my father land and join the next batch or Batch c because the batch I was mobilized with was Batch A. I believe I would have completed the contract I won before the batch c times comes. As time goes on I decides I won't deffer this offer. I will go and I will pause the construction project till i come back from the orientation course which was supposed to last for three weeks. Before the real service exercise commence after the three week orientation course commenced. I had to travel to my town to inform my parent and to bid them farewell. I told my client about the latest development as regards my services he agreed that the project be paused. The next challenge was how will I get to Yola the capital city of Adamawa. Then I decided I won't travel on land I will have to make this trip by air. I searched for airline they plies the route then I picked arik airline. I booked my ticket online. I traveled back to site and got ready for the trip. I had to travel from Oyo state to Lagos State to catch my flight the next morning to Yola. Around 9:00am I arrived the airport. And my flight took off around 10:00am we landed in the city of Abuja after about 50minutes on air I was to have a stop over for over 5hours. Around after 4:00pm I boareded again for the next flight to Yola. I arrived Yola in the evening before I left the airport and clear my luggage it taking rounds and few minutes again. Then I met new friend who were in the same flight with me for the same reason of attending the orientation course as a corp member. We agreed to hire a taxi which we did. We got to the camp as it was already dark. I was screended into the camp where I proceeded for other registration to obtain a bed space and collection of uniforms and I was slotted to platoon 9.That night I nearly finished my registration. The next morning the soldier work us around 4: 00am to prepare for parade as we were expected to be on the parade ground by 5:00am. All this were becoming strange the weather was totally strange from the south west. The heat was severe. Taughts to evict the camp came. The water from the tank was become naturally hot even without a boiling ring. We were mandate to join match past series in the morning and evening and also a boring series and seminar daily. The only part I enjoyed was the football matches we played and I was the platoon 9 main striker. We won the football competition. .........