THE heat is on already. Everyone is beginning to gradually pick up their bags and baggages. The period of service to dear father land, a period that brings about self-actualisation, which represents a concept derived from humanistic psychological theory and, specifically, from the theory created by Abraham Maslow. Self-actualisation, according to Maslow, represents growth of an individual towards fulfillment of the highest needs, those for meaning in life, in particular. Service to father land brings about self fulfillment together with an intense desire to do exploit. This period of selfless service to our dear nation is gradually coming to an end.
Curriculum vitae, Resume, Cover letters have been dispersed to different directions, corps member are no longer trifling, and lodges are now serene and unruffled. There is no longer room for gossips and superfluous arguments. Place of primary assignments are already preparing release letters, house rents are already expiring if not expired. Everyone is purchasing Ghana must go bags, people are wondering what’s going on. Well, this is what’s going on. We are passing out!! Yes we are rounding up having rendered a selfless service to our father land.
I was discussing with a friend and of course like every other corps member due to pass out, in July she was excited. She can’t wait for pop, so should could get hold of her discharge certificate. She wants to move on with life and have a glimpse of what the real life has to offer. Of course, one would expect nothing less from someone who has been through thick and thin to get to the stage we are in now. While she was glittering with happiness and submerged with excitement, I called out to her, Diana, to where are you going from hence. She paused for a while and giggled, what do you mean where? I laughed heartedly and at a point kept calm and paraphrased my question, having realized she didn’t know from where I was coming or going thereof. Diana, I exclaimed to where are you going and after passing out parade? She was sober for a while and calmly replied, Vicky; I really don’t know. I paused for a second and pondered over her response and it dawned on me that is isn’t only Diana that is trapped in this situation.
Most corps members are trapped in same condition as Diana, regardless of who they are, or where they are from. As a child growing up, we plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It’s just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn’t have expected. Sometimes, we dream of making our parents the happiest beings in the world, we want to appreciate them for sending us to school and helping us become who we are, but this dream tend to be difficult in our society today.
Now, as a university or polytechnic graduate, it is expected of you to attain some level of excellence after graduation or better still having passed out from NYSC. After winding and passing out, one begins to realize the very essence of existence. You are now surrounded by people who look up to you and the world gradually begins to revolve around you. Family, relations begin to depend on you for their means of livelihood, these are people you can’t bear to fail. Thus, the journey of life emanates. A journey which is sometimes filled with fears and disappointments, at this point in time, monthly allowances allocated to corps members by the federal government seizes to exist. Need I say more. Some corps members fend for their families and even send them their monthly allowances.
One tends to imagine how hostile life would be for members who are in such situations. Sometimes, we wonder what life would be after being issued our discharge certificates, I know this wouldn’t be an issue for the privileged ones amongst us, who were born with silver spoons, but can one imagine the feelings of fears and anxiety experienced by less privileged corps members? One with no god-fathers in such a society as ours?, the word pathetic is not enough to describe their frustration, just the thought of it is likely to drive a sane man insane.
Most corps members wouldn’t want to go back to their homes. They say it’s like going back to square one or going back to zero point. Each of them feel the urge to show the society where they are from the potentials in them and therefore wouldn’t dare show their faces as those who have already lost the battle, before it begun. It is indeed appalling to look at your parent’s face and tell them you’re jobless and not able to tend for yourself, I can hardly imagine the disappointment they’ll have written all over their faces. I, for one wouldn’t want to return home unfulfilled, and likewise other corps members and let our parents spoon feed us. To us, as graduates, we ought to be able to fend for ourselves and even our parents, but how can these dreams of ours be achieveable in a society where one has to strive for survival and corruption has become the order of the day. You are no longer employed by merit but by the number of people you know at the top.
It is no longer news that the country gives little or no room to the growing youths in the society. With the current Nigerian elite system revolving in a circular direction, the youths are left with despair and dissuasion.
With the future so full of unforeseeable possibilities, we shouldn’t let ourselves get overly focused on specific goals. Instead, we can focus on the fundamental directive qualities that we must develop to help us be successful on whatever part we find ourselves. There are thousands of factors that may affect our future. Dreams change, for one thing, usually gravitating towards developing strength and abilities, unique personalities, even genetic traits. And life, itself has a way of narrowing option. Competition builds. Sometimes, we make choice that affect us negatively or positively, some doors, slam shut while others swing wide open.
To all batch B corps members, I say never give up be confident in what you do. There maybe tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all odds.
Never let your head hand down, never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines (Richard M. Nixon)
Wishing you all good luck and devine providence in all your endevours.
