At Rivers NYSC camp, trainees live in perpetual fear
Afirst time visitor to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, located at Nonwa Gbam in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, will think it’s a grazing field for cattle. The camp, which was a teachers’ training college until 2000 when the Rivers State Government donated it to the NYSC for its orientation programmes, is strategically located, given its closeness to Port Harcourt, the state capital and neighbouring states such as Akwa Ibom.
A journey from Port Harcourt to Nonwa is less than a 30-minute drive and about three hours from Akwa Ibom State.
The host community to the camp is in Ogoni land and has about 16 clans.
From Nonwa expressway, a motorbike operator, popularly called Okada, is always at hand to take you to the camp in less than five minutes, with just N100.
The camp is also used as a training ground for other agencies such the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the Man O’ War and other paramilitary organisations.
The first thing that confronts a visitor to the camp is a wornout gate that serves as its entry point. Movement in and out of the camp is not checked despite the presence of two armed policemen at the gate. At your right hand you are accosted with a small building painted in the Nigerian green- white-green colour. The building is used as reception, where visitors are expected to get clearance before proceeding to the camp.
But when our correspondent went to the camp, there was nobody at the reception to grant him pass. The two policemen at the gate were deeply engaged in a conversation and did not care about movement in and out of the camp.
The roads to the administrative blocks and the hostels are not tarred, and part of it had been eaten off by erosion and overgrown with weeds.
The hostels have been so overgrown with weeds that a good number of them had broken window panels. The walls are worn out and are crying for attention. And the kitchen is in a terrible hygiene condition. The open hall that serves as the camp dinning is littered with all manner of refuse.
The one-story building that serves as the camp administrative structure is in dare need of renovation.
“The orientation camp comes alive when corps members come for their orientation, and after that, the place becomes a ghost of itself.
“The moment corps members are about to come in, or any other agency that wants to use the facility for their training, you will see the handlers of the camp trying to do one thing or another. After that, the place becomes desolate and inhabitable,” a staff member of the camp who pleaded anonymity said.
He blamed the management of the NYSC for the poor state of the camp, saying the authorities pay lip service to the state of the orientation camp.
“If you go round the premises you will see the level of decay in the camp. The hostels are worn out. Some of the windows are broken. The walls are defaced and the toilet facilities are nothing to write home about.
“The entire place is obsolete and needs total turnaround. The moment the last batch of corps members left, the whole premises was overtaken by weeds.
“It was cleared recently because an organisation wanted to use it to train their personnel,” he added.
When our correspondent visited the camp, an organisation known as Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) was training about 800 Rivers youths on pipeline surveillance and protection. The trainees are expected to be in the camp for the duration of the exercise.
The national president of HOSTCOM, Dr Mike Emuh, said it was necessary for the organisation to train Rivers youths and those from other Niger Delta States on pipeline surveillance and monitoring.
Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, a trainee, Israel Abeh, said there was the need to upgrade facilities at the camp to meet international standard.
“The facilities we have here are very poor. The hostels are dirty and unkempt. Some of the hostels do not have window panels and the trainees are exposed to reptiles and mosquitoes
“Every part of the premises is overgrown with weeds. This is not healthy for our wellbeing. You cannot rule out snake bite because I know that this place is not fumigated,” he said.
He called on the management of the NYSC to give the camp a facelift.
Another trainee, Martins Amadi, said they were exposed to infectious diseases.
“The beds and beddings are worn out. The mattresses are dirty and have been used for years. I am sure almost all the mattresses have bedbugs. I am sure they have not fumigated the place, so chances of contacting diseases cannot be ruled out. In our hostel, the fans are not working; they have all broken down,’’ he said.
A female trainee who pleaded anonymity also said their hostel windows had all broken down.
“Whenever it’s dawn we become afraid because of the nature of the hostel and the entire premises. In our hostel there is no window panel or glasses, not to talk about window nets. The hostel is overgrown with weeds and we stand the risk of being attacked by dangerous reptiles like snakes.
“The mattresses are dirty. Some of them have been used by corps members for many years, so the risk of contacting infectious diseases is there,’’ she said.
She called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, commence immediate renovation of the camp.
A former youth corps member, who simply identified herself as Stella, said she contacted skin infection at the camp during their orientation.
She said, “I graduated from a university in the South-West and was very excited when I was posted to Port Harcourt, but my excitement whittled down when we came to Nonwa Orientation Camp. The camp is in a bad shape. The facilities are in a very bad shape. The toilets are terribly bad, just as the hostel.
“The iron beds are worn out. The mattresses are dirty, an indication that they have been used for ages. One week after we came into the camp I discovered rashes all over my body. I didn’t know how it came about because I didn’t have such thing when I came in. I spent so much in treating myself.”
She called on the Federal Government and the management of the NYSC to commence an immediate renovation of the camp.
On another dimension, it was gathered that the presence of the camp has improved the economic fortunes of the 16 clans that make up Nonwa.
Speaking to our correspondent, an indigene of the community, Rita Besor, said business and economic activities always picked up any time corps members were in camp.
She said, “The camp becomes alive any time corps members come for orientation. Within the period they are in camp, business activities boom in our community. The corps members usually buy lots of things from us.
“I have a local restaurant, popularly known as ‘Mama Put’. I make so much money any time they are in camp, but the moment they depart, our business whittles down. The presence of corps members is always a blessing to us. But I want the management of the NYSC to improve on the facilities. The entire buildings need renovation. It should not be only when corps members are about to move into the camp that they would start fire brigade renovation and cleaning.”
Another local restaurant operator, Jane Tamuno said, “Business in the camp is temporary because corps members are not always there. But any time they come in, we make brisk business. They buy food from me. I am always busy any time orientation is in session.
“Apart from making money, their presence makes Nonwa community lively. They are wonderful companions. We thank God for choosing Nonwa as the NYSC orientation camp, but they should upgrade the facilities at the camp.”
A staff member of the NYSC who did not want his name on print blamed the poor state of the camp on poor maintainance culture.
“The management of NYSC should not wait till corps members come in before they commence the maintainance of the camp. They do one thing or another to fix the place as soon as orientation commences, which is wrong.
“The camp should undergo total renovation. They may have financial challenges because of poor subvention, but they should try their best to fix the place. The state of the camp is an eyesore, and it does not portray us in a good light,” he said.
When contacted, the public relations officer of the NYSC in the state, Violet Apollo, said the management would soon commence the renovation of the camp.
“We will do something about the place. Before the next batch of corps members comes in, we will renovate and put the place in order,” Apollo told our correspondent on telephone.