19/10/2021
( - / )
It was my very first visit to Asaba the capital of Delta State, a journey that started as a compulsory National Call to serve my dear mothers'land (Nigeria) and I had no other choice but obey without any hesitation....
I can remember stepping out of the bus we boarded right from camp(iseluku) that drove us right from the camp out to town where we would individually find out roots to our PPA (primary place of assignment )....
It was a bright sunny day with an unfriendly and harsh scourging sun hitting hard on my dark skin as I struggled with a rather too large luggage, standing by the express road where I alighted and having zero idea as to where I ought to head to,coupled with all of the stress and hunger dealing with me mercilessly all I wanted as at that moment was to get a place to rest my head a little but that was far from the picture I was seeing in front of me and I was extremely exhausted and farmished....
I could hear passers by yelling loud , some screaming and murmuring words in their native dialect (igbo)not understanding a word of what I was hearing i kept moving a dragging my lugguages to a distant place I was directed to get the next tricycle (keke) that will take me to where my PPA was.....
Let me also add this that it was actually my first time travelling to the east and so everything looked quit stranged to me, the people where realky hostile especially to strangers once they discover you're a visitor and that really scared me a little I wouldn't lie dou๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ. The hostility and harassment I experienced from the natives of the land didn't sit well with me not all ....hmmmmm๐๐๐
I was dressed in my complete 7/7 kaki Nysc uniform as I finally got to my assinged place of primary assignment , got my necessary papers filled and signed, I obviously had no where to stay cos we were told from camp that our different PPA will make provision for our lodge but my PPA had nothing like that for those of that were posted there....i was lucky enough for my new boss to attach me to a senior corper to stay with her till I would complete my documentary .... I got to her place , freshened up, ate and had a little nap....it was a small comfy place for a girl of her age, through her I did a little research about my PPA, the rules and everything abd most importantly how to survive in the place, she was a friendly , beautiful nice girl as she did put me through some basic things I ought to know about the town ( Asaba) itself, in her words " Be very careful o, don't ever accept lift from any stranger ".....
Many stories to tell meenhhh....๐๐๐
After December break before Jan 4th I found myself back to Asaba as thou I planted my placenta there....๐๐๐๐that's to show how committed and sincere Iam when involve in anything, continued with some unfinished documentation both at PPA / LG/SECRETARIAT all in the bid of answering the clarion call if serving my dear country, there were monthly clearance, daily work report, weekly CDS,weekdays church service, hanging out with Pals at game centre during off days, weekend home baking/side hustle,
There were scenarios I would enter and it will remind me of Calabar my Calabar( the breadth of fresh air, tranquillity, peace )you get in Calabar can't be compared to what I was getting in Asaba ๐๐๐.....Everywhere was always flooded whenever it rained cos they had no drainage systems yeah it was as bad as that and it usually keeps me pondering what their then Governor Ifeayin Arthur's project really was yo salvage the pitiable condition of his dear people......๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
In Asaba I learnt to eat some of their native food (okpa wuth chill which was my favourite, abacha, oha-soup, and ofcourse Ofe-nsala) funny enough food was like the only interesting thing about Asaba.....๐๐๐ yeah right have just said that ....I learnt there was General that I got familiar with the introductory/peasantry aspect of it...., during my stay there i got to see lots of Nigerian Hollywood actors as i learnt how Asaba was their home for movie location/production...
Pardon me if you may..... I didn't like the vibe the town was giving as it was damn stuffy, stale and tame (no open recreation centre /sit out to chill, have and to clear your mind/head) except an hotel๐๐ and at the same time the town was treacherous and very chancy for my liking.... you know what surprised me the more was the fact that it has only one considered as the only hot spot for people from all nooks and crannies to come buy and chill for a town as busy and business oriented as Asaba...... uncompared to Calabar where you have tones and loads of cool places to chill out but business wise it's nothing good to write home about.....๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
Nevertheless, I wouldn't be wrong if i say Asaba has it's own unquine luxurious lifestyle heritage with an awesome tradition that integrates them together. I will still never regret serving in Asaba (MOI) in the news room under the supervision of a credible,strong, godly and down to earth lady who served as a mother to me.., I'm glad and blessed to have come to knowing a good number of wonderful individuals who are now more than just friends but more like family, my PPA connect, corpers's lodge, Redeemed Christian Church, Cds connect, this and many other things did made the place memorable to me after all.......๐๐๐
DO YOU HAVE FUN MEMORY OF YOUR NYSC YEAR.....?
