"One sure cure for Constraints"

TW: genocide

He had requested for bus from the Secretariat to transport the corners to their new place of primary assignment. The Chairman of the local government versed in English, he speaks 90percent Hausa and 10 percent English. The secretary seems to be the one doing most of the speaking in English. I never really liked the look of that secretary even before his true colors started manifesting. The Chairman seems to be more jovial.

One look at the secretary had told me all I needed to know. I voiced my concern out and many discarded it as my running riots but they were to confirm my prophesies two days to the end of our service there. I needed not to wake from the same bed with any one in order to tell who that person is. Some claimed it was a gift, but I knew it has some thing to do with paying close to issues. Anyone can build and develop that talent if he or she tries.

We had gone there to fulfil what’s is known as familiarization visit. I really don’t remember what brought about the diatribe from the man. We had gathered earlier at a corners inside the Secretariat waiting for the other come before we move enmass to see the officials. Suddenly, we noticed the man walking towards us and some of us that had been sitting, stood to show respect.

“What’s holding you people?” He asked. 

“ We are waiting for the others sir”

“ If you don’t go now to call them, I will tell you that this degree you think you has is nothing but ordinary papers”

He turned and went inside again.

Everyone was eyeing the man, Wondering where the anger and insult came from. Our CLO went to call others. The man was a master degree holders and ours was ordinary papers. I think it was insecurity. He had requested about two day back that we write our names and discipline as if it was forwarded to them before our arrival.

Then it was time to introduce ourselves after which the man started enumerating what’s expected from us as if national service started with us. All this while, it was only his mouth talking, not his mind or eye. They were all dormant. “I know that you’re a born again, I went you to lead us in closing prayers” he pointed one girl out.

Most of us that can see beyond our nose knew there was problem, the signs were in every words that came out of the man mouth. At times, it would sound as if he was talking to people from another country and not his country people. He was probably thinking that we Christians came to earn free money from the North as if their people weren’t posted to other regions.

Most people in that Secretariat pretend to not understand and speak English and was taking to that idea till few months later, we came to realised that it was a ploy to cajole us into electing CLO from the North to be communicating with them. Their kind they trust around them. Not minding he is a Christian.

I happened to be among those shifted to another town under the local government and I was thanking heaven for that for I was wondering how I would have made it was there without going bonkers.

At our new base, the principal a man frustrated by the political configuration of the place and the ethnicity he came from ( many other tribes in the North there). Over there in a he North, there are bajillion of tribes but Religion hold them together. Hausa and Fulani tribes dominate others. Fulani’s dominated in Sokoto and most of the time, imposed their will on the Hausas that believed that Fulani’s were visitors. So, our new principal was a dominated fellow and frustrated too. He believed that he was more educated than the people controlling him, he found the situation unacceptable but has no choice but to accept.

We was subjected to another introductory and familiarization bullshits. I personally think that the man made sure we earned every penny spent on us. The permanent staffs handed over their portfolios 90 percent to us and still, the principal looked the other way. The school timetable was redrafted whether to made sure to that we corners didn’t not forget their faces or something. We didn’t anyway. Those faced weren’t ones to forget easily even when you want to. Some had track lines drawn on them from base of their ears to the jaws. 

You still remember the Northern CLO I mentioned earlier?, Yes, he came with his own do’s and don’t’s. He came with his own dress code and working schedule he said came from the Secretariat.

“ You’re to be on your Corpers uniform with batch’s on any time you are stepping outside the town or on official duties. Town people were weary of the faces they encounter at wrong hours among them. They need you to be dressed so that they would know who is who. It’s for your own safety”

Backtrack to our arrival day in our new base. Some of the security personnels had refused to evacuate the rooms were to occupy, claiming that they were staffs to. Orders had to come from the village head before they removed themselves from there.

 The order came with it’s own do's and don’ts. We were told the color of paints that we must use if we care to paint the rooms. We were wondering why they do not clean up the place before our arrival. We were told where to fetch waters if we need them. Rooms weren’t ready, security refused to move, the colour of the paint we must use if we care to paint the rooms.

What type of welcome is that?.

It was era of Sharia politics in Nigeria, and Sharia court was there in front of our lodge. The constraints were compounded by merely looking at the court building in front of us.

I honestly believe it was insecurities on their part that was being manifested through the only means they knew. Fear and intimidation.

There was tribal war in Lagos one drive was telling us that: “Soon, we will start killing the Yorubas in this state”

When asked how they would know who is who, he turned around and pointed out two Yoruba Corpers correctly. One nearly develop heart attacks. Then when they came with another directive of going to the commissioner house to fetch water that their women uses the one we use, it proved too much that we decided to even dropped almost 70 percent of the other checkmating rules and made our choices from then.