It poured cats and dogs on Thursday, 8th July, 2021 in Benin City. Amidst the rain, fully kitted Corps members were spotted on many streets of the town walking in the rain encouragingly in groups as they carried out sensitization exercise on environmental sanitation in a bid to key into Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Urban Renewal Program for healthy environment and create awareness on sustainable environmental management and regeneration.
They were visibly drained from the rain but they had inner strengths that kept them going. They were quick to remind any colleague who mumbles from fatigue of the famous NYSC anthem lines that; ” under the sun or in the rain, with dedication and selflessness…” This brought back camp memories that put smiles on the faces of the young patriots. Now they understood the anthem they sang every day during the three weeks camp orientation exercise to actually mean that they signed up to the clarion call irrespective of the atmospheric condition.
But the rainy Thursday sensitization exercise was just a prelude to the sanitation exercise that would come on Saturday, 17th July, 2021 National Environmental Sanitation Day which NYSC set aside for Corps members to carry out environmental sanitation and sensitization in their various host communities.
The disciplinary NYSC officials in Oredo have not doubt instilled discipline in the serving Corps member which has put the Corps members always on the go when duty calls. So when the Corpers’ Liaison Officer (CLO), Afemi Samson posted a reminder on the WhatsApp group that reads:
“Attention Corps members, there will be a National Environmental Sanitation Day! Which will hold on Saturday, the 17th of July, 2021.Corpers are advised to come out in large numbers to clean their environment, and also sensitize the people on Sanitation! Irrespective of your CDS group or where you stay, you are all advised to participate in making your environment clean…” they were not dazed a bit!
On Saturday, 17th July, corpers serving within Benin metropolis were spotted in every nook and cranny of the town carrying out sanitation. From cutting of grasses to disposing of waste bins. As usual what ordinarily would have been tiring turned out to be fun filled as they exhibited a high level of team spirit on the exercise.
Community Development Service (CDS) is one of the four cardinal programmes of NYSC in which corps members contribute positively to the development of their host communities throughout the period of national service. Corps members are expected to use one day in a week for group CDS activities. They are not expected to attend duties in their places of Primary assignment on CDS days. Such days are dedicated to the execution of projects and programmes that will improve the living conditions of their host communities.
There are 16 CDS groups, one of which is Enviromental Protection & Sanitation group (NEMA/NESREA vanguard) that carries out sanitation on weekly basis but to commemorate the epochal National Environmental Sanitation Day, Oredo Corps members irrespective of the CDS groups all turned out en masse to carry out the sanitation exercise.
It is worthwhile mentioning that since its inception in 1973, the National Youth Service Corps has been making great contributions in the social, political and economic transformation of the nation.
In recent times, NYSC has been in the vanguard of the nation’s drive to correct the imbalance in our rural-urban development through the various community development programmes executed by corps members. These programmes have revolutionized our communities in the areas of education, environment, healthcare delivery, agriculture, communication, infrastructure, technology, economic empowerment, poverty eradication, social services and above all national consciousness and socio-cultural regeneration.
By carrying out this selfless and patriotic exercise, the Corps members have underscored the commitment of the scheme to a clean and sustainable ecosystem that supports the life of all living in it, man, plants and of course animals.
Keeping our environment clean is the duty of every citizen, from personal hygiene to our surroundings, let cultivate the culture of cleanliness. Remember the popular adage that says “cleanliness is next to godliness”.
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Sinafi Omanga is a serving Corps member with The Nigerian Observer, Benin City.
