Umunna Bende🌳🌴

My NYSC gist. How I landed in Umunna Bende, Abia State is just unusual.

I was born and raised in Aba, Abia state, a typical “Nwa Aba”. My secondary school was ASTEC Owerrinta, Abia State. I graduated from University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State and my state of origin is Ebonyi State. Having spent most of my life in the East, I so much looked forward to NYSC sheme which would move me out of the east to another part of the country.

I spent time day dreaming and imagining how interesting it would be to serve my fatherland in the northern or Western part of the country , what it would be like to live in a Yoruba or Hausa land. I was thrilled and nervous while waiting for my posting letter, I was also certain that I would not be posted back here in the East since I’ve been here all my life.

But lo and behold, when I saw my posting letter, I was dumbfounded, the excitement of NYSC evaporated with speed, how could NYSC do this to me? I just sat there in mummy’s shop staring at the letter in my phone and refreshing the page to see if there would be a change. But there was no change, it was still there staring right back at me “NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Umunna Bende L.G.A, Abia State “. While I was already consoling myself with a redeployment plan, mummy was dancing for joy that God heard her prayers and she wasted no time in spreading the news that I couldn’t bring myself to share.

Fast forward to few days later, I got to camp in less than 2 hours, very short and boring compared to the long journey across River Niger that I had imagined.

Well, camp was not so bad, I actually enjoyed it, it was just for three weeks but it felt like three years. Towards the end, I really didn’t want it to end.

Finally dear reader, I didn’t redeploy to anywhere, I’m still an Abia corper, a very happy one at that. You know why? It’s the confidence that God loves me, He’s in charge and I can never be disadvantaged. Whatever happens, no matter how dim it seems, it’ll work out for good. Why worry about being in Abia when I can trust God with my life? Abia is not a very wonderful place anyway, but I’d rather focus on the good and be a happy child than dwell on the bad and get frustrated.