CORPER SHUN!

My name is Desmond. I am a Christian (as far as I know). I am also a corper. For anyone who is not familiar with this word, let me explain to you; corpers are the young men and women that are mobilized to serve their country (Nigeria) for the duration of a year. They each are posted to different states in the country and required to serve in any capacity for that duration.

In the space of a year, three batches are mobilized; batch A, B and C. They work in government agencies, ministries, and majorly as teachers in schools. 70% of corpers end up in schools regardless of their discipline or vocation, which is the institution that can accommodate the large tide of corpers released every year.

I want to tell you of my experiences (good and bad), I want to intimate you with my temptations (the ones I overcame and the ones I didn’t overcome, then the ones I didn’t want to overcome, which I fell into gladly), and I want you to know me, maybe understand my choices and not judge me too harshly as a result.

I was posted to Calabar, the capital city of Cross-River State. You’ve probably heard stories of Calabar (good and/or bad), you might have heard of their array of beautiful tempting women (fiction or real) and you most likely know of their beautiful city (especially if you reside in Nigeria). I was eager and at the same time petrified of what my experiences will be in the city of Calabar.

Don’t get me wrong; I chose to serve in Calabar. I made sure to ‘work’ my service to Cross River State but it was luck and a bit of foresight that landed me in Calabar city itself. All my life, I had heard of the city and my interests was piqued to the extent that I wanted the real life experience and not just rely on my imagination or on what I learn through the media. Again, as a young man with blood flowing through my veins, I was also intrigued by the stories I’ve heard over the years of beautiful and willing women; ‘willing’ being the operative word here.

When I got to camp, I made sure to join the CDS (community development service) group that will aid in my pursuit of serving in the capital city. I joined the road safety corps, made friends with the leader of the group; a batch A corper and was dedicated. My dedication paid off and I was rewarded.

So, my wish finally came through. I was posted to Calabar and I enjoyed every moment of it. I had the time of my life. I’ll like to share these experiences with you if you’ll permit me. At the most, you’ll learn from them or at the very least, they’ll make you laugh. Come along with me and let’s boogie on down!