By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
For the most part of the past decade in many parts of Northern Nigeria, security challenges have tormented the people. Yet, the beautiful memories of what communities in that part of the country used to be remain indelible in the minds of Nigerians who had the opportunity to explore that part of the country before insurgency and later, banditry took over. Many of those were young men and women who were deployed to the northern part of Nigeria to participate in the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Some of such people shared their experiences with Saturday Sun.
The North made me join the police – Okiro
Among those who had memories to share is Mike Okiro, the former Inspector General of Police who served in Maiduguri in 1976. Travelling to Maiduguri from Port Harcourt took him about four days and as a young man, it was one year of fun and visiting several tourist sites in the North.
“Those days, every region had it own transport company. I would join Rivers State Transport to Owerri and pick Oriental bus to Onitsha. From Onitsha to Benue and then Jos. It’s from Jos that we would take the North East line to Maiduguri. It was a four-day journey and the road was so bad.
“Then they used to give us five days pass, I couldn’t travel because it took eight days to go and come. It was my stay in the North that made me become a policeman.
“We were doing our community development at Gusau which was under Borno then. I saw an advert in Daily Times that the Federal government was recruiting young graduates. I had a lot of options, so I did not take it seriously but one of my friends recounted how his elder brother joined Nigerian Police and was travelling by air from Kano to Lagos. I decided to join since this would be an opportunity to travel out of Borno with ease. My plan was to go and see my parents from Lagos. Thirty of us applied and four were selected. There was no airport so we travelled by road with armed escorts. Unfortunately after the selection process, the escorts refused to allow me leave. This was how I was bundled back to Maiduguri, so I spent a whole year without seeing my parents.
“All through that one year, everywhere was calm, we used to go to parties and come back around 2am. Most times we trekked back because we did not have money for cab. Everyone was happy and living very well. I even got a job that I did temporarily before I was called to travel to Jos for training. That time when you were good, you were good. There was nothing like quota system. It was purely merit. We went around on excursion as corp members. We went to Baga lake, Gboza Hill, Mubi and had so much fun, visited the Shehu of Borno. I had so much fun as a young man and I wish Nigeria get it right in the area of insecurity that has divided this country.”
So many packs of condom
Kalu Ukpong Kalu, a journalist with The Sun served in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and left for home at the end of the with several souvenirs. Among them, he recalled, were packs of condom, which the young men in his community gladly received instead of bread or other gifts.
“This was in 1988 and we did our orientation at Bama, which is less than 60 kilometres to where you call Banki, a border town between Borno and Cameroon. At Banki is where you have a big market, and from the orientation camp, we went there. We saw some Made-in-Aba products.
“After the orientation, I was deployed to the Borno State Library Board in Maiduguri. We got accommodated at NYSC transit camp which also served as accommodation or hostel for Ramad Polytechnic female students. So, we had access to female companions.
“It was a very beautiful place to be, while as a corps member, the women showed us so much love. If you went to the market to buy pepper of one kobo then, you’d find out that the extra that you would receive much bigger than the one you paid for. The Monday market was very beautiful. Whenever it was getting to 6pm, you sneaked in there, and the meat you would buy would be so big.
“I had some friends, and in the evening, we would go to the Customs Office area. There was fresh fish pepper soup from Baga area. It was fun being in that state.
“At the Ministry of Health, there was a section where condom was always being distributed. Immediately you got there, they would give you a roll of condoms without asking questions. I got so many – not that I was using them though. I got so many that when I returned in 1989, I used condoms as gifts in place of bread for the young men in our area. I got more than 60 roll of condoms. I went back after my youth service and I interacted freely. The way they loved corps members then, I don’t know if it’s still applicable. The send forth for me was also amazing. This was about 33 years ago.”
Their men are better but
A lady, Chisom, said she got carried away with the hospitality she received that she opted to marry a Hausa man.
“I served in Kaure village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, and that was the best part of my life. Their men like Igbo women so much, especially the Alhajis. They spoilt me so much with good things of life.
“Even their wives would serve you without showing any form of jealousy. I met a lot of the young women at the health centres and we became friends. They taught me a lot about things to take so that my husband would enjoy sex with me. They were experts, although I did not notice any difference after taking the herbs. There was a lot of competition among the woman as to who would be the favourite. I would soon write a book on it.
“In fact, my father had to send one of our relatives from Abuja to bundle me back home. They said I was under a spell. I was even willing to be a fourth wife to one Alhaji Sani, a successful bureau de change operator. I was serving at the health centre in that community. Today that community is a no-go area because of the evil activities of bandits.
“The northerners are amazing people and they know how to respect a woman. The only problem is that you will be ready to accept other wives without complaining. I wonder how the women were created. In my next life, I must marry a Hausa man.” She cooed.
In Lokoja
From Niger to Kogi, the story is the same. Willy Jacobs, who is based in Lagos, still feels the urge to go back to Kogi.
“I was posted to serve as a teacher in a remote secondary school in Olomaboro area of Kogi State. The community was very receptive and accommodating. Within the one year, I became part of the community and there wasn’t this issue of insecurity.
Most times we used to go their farms and come back with ripe plantain, banana. Anytime we were travelling home, they would give us so much to take along. I had a friend from Anambra who was living with me and it was fun. I still have a sense of nostalgia about my youth service days. It’s not something I can forget. I still have friends who are from that local government. If I remember what I enjoyed and how receptive the community was to me, I begin to imagine the disunity in the country, with everyone suspecting each other.”
Free transportation and food in Kebbi
While in Kebbi State from 1998 to 1999, Madam Emmanuel saved most of her allowances, as members of the community where she served were too generous to her. “I was posted to a school in Zuru area of the state. Northerners are lovely, friendly and kind hearted. The school where I served were so accommodating to the extent that I became the lesson teacher to the children of the principal, Malam Abdulahi.
“Moving around in the community was so easy for me because, they would allow us to ride on their bikes for free. I was living in the lodge meant for us and you were free to move around anytime of the day. There was freedom of speech and worship. They were down-to-earth. When they liked you, you were blessed, if they didn’t want you, there was nothing you could do about it.
“Serving in the north never gave me any cause to regret. I was given the opportunity to stay back but due to family pressure, I had to come back. Everywhere was safe. I pray that Nigeria would revert to its past glory so that I can go back and see my friends whom I hope are still alive.”
Oluwatoyin Jumbo also served in Kebbi State, in the popular Arugungi town. She said she was treated like royalty there. “I enjoyed watching the fish festival. I hope that God will make peace to reign in Nigeria. Even when I had no accommodation, they gave me a special lodge in the hospital. They treated us like royalty.”
I wish we could relocate to Kano
Mrs Jimoh’s greatest wish is for her entire family to relocate to Kano where she did her NCE (Nigeria Certificate in Education). “I did my NCE and teaching practice in Kano. Apart from insecurity, life is much better in the North than in the South. You enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables.
“You drink the correct Fura da nunu yoghurt, not this rubbish that we take in Lagos. When I was doing my teaching practice, the government gave us a good accommodation and foodstuff every weekend. The little cash that we had was just enough. If I am allowed to choose where to live, I will prefer to go back and stay in Kano. But this insecurity, you cannot tell when it will happen. No hustling and bustling. No stress, it is a nice environment. If not for what is happening today, they are all nice people.”
“Aishatu my Michika love”
Jide Adeyemi was immediately redeployed to another town when his love interest in Michika, Adamawa State was causing plenty commotion.
“I was posted as a teacher to the Government Senior Secondary School in Michika. Alhaji Danjuma Danladi was the owner of the house where we stayed, because the local government had no accommodation for NYSC members. I remember my girlfriend that time. Her name is Aishatu. Then there was no phone and she was the daughter of one of their traditional leaders. She was 18 and in senior secondary school. Her family had packaged her to get married to one rich man in Mubi.
In fact, because of her, I was redeployed to Yola. They realised that it was one Yoruba boy that was distracting their sister, so they came after me. They saw one of my letters in her school bag. It got to the point that one of Danladi’s sons, Umar, who was my friend, used to bring a long flowing robe for me wear. This was the only way I could see Aishatu in secret.
“I later got to know that it was Alhaji Danladi’s daughters that leaked the secret. She later got married to the man that was arranged by her parents.
I was so good in Mathematics that I organised free classes for them and Alhaji Danladi was paying for it. He loved me so much that when we were completing the programme, he offered one of his daughters as a gift. He asked me to marry her for free.
“It was an amazing time in the North and I wish that things would be reverted. We used to go to club in Yola and leave as late as 4am back to Michika in order to meet up with our classes. I had a car, a Volkswagen Golf that we normally used with my friends, Isa and Obinna. Isa is from Yobe State while Obinna is from Imo. We drove through small towns late at night with no fear because the area was so peaceful.
We were well taken care of because there were so many women everywhere. The men had so many wives, so they had plenty children. They loved seeing us around.”
I need to return to Zamfara for gold
Now a successful businessman, Harry Obi’s desire is to return to Zamfara and pick up what he believes to be gold which he said could be found behind the house he lodged in while there.
His words: “I served in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara and it’s such an amazing place that I would wish to go back again and again. Their weather was always at the extreme. Rainy season was very windy and dry seasons were so hot that you could get your skin burnt. Sometimes I wonder what happened to the good people of Zamfara that were very receptive. I was waiting to settle down properly before I return on a visit, but now it is impossible.
“What I miss is that I would have been richer than I am today if I knew the value of gold then. At the back of my house, I discovered where erosion created a big gully and exposed some metals, which I now realised was gold. I was tempted to go and take those sacks and pack those tiny pieces of shiny things. My spirit was telling me, this is gold, but I did not make up my mind to go and take them. Years after I left Zamfara, I realised that I would have been the first to mine it. This is the only thing that is tempting me to go back to Zamfara and check. But for the insecurity on-going there, I would have gone back for my own share of gold.”