NYSC Camp - Slaughterhouse or Incubator for Romantic Relationships?

Batch A stream II corp members have since Wednesday, July 26th reporting to their respective camps across Nigeria as orientation camp opens. Relating to the orientation course and camp, topics such as safety in camp, good behavior, how to get redeployed and exempted are always buzzing terms.

However, some have it that, one of the sub-theme that often goes undiscussed is how National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Camps and the whole scheme negatively affects romantic relationships.

Their argument then is that NYSC camps, are terribly maintained, are temptation islands and which one will be surprised at how many relationships never survive the three weeks let alone the whole service year. Hence, there is no batch without reports of sometimes marriage or engaged, caught in the act of indulging in sneaky sex in the parade ground or other secret spots in camp. In Plateau state, just few months ago, married lady that was caught.

Therefore things get interesting when you are caught having sex, or doing any other thing that warrants a dismissal, NYSC officials are required to call your registered next of kin, to tell them of the dismissal.

In such scenario what do you think will happen to that relationship if the next-of-kin is the lady’s husband or fiancée? Serious issue you must say. This was what happened to another married woman caught in Ebonyi state camp in November 2016, says Fred, a serving corps member in the state.

Fred then narrates how the lady was caught having sex with another corper, and after being notified of her dismissal alongside the guy, it was the same husband who came to pick her. Then imagine the awkwardness of that long ride home, and what will become of the marriage. Is there something about NYSC camps and service year that allows for bonds to be created regardless of relationships corpers had before they got called up to serve?

“I think NYSC year ends about 80% of relationships,” says Babs, who was very much in love with his girlfriend before he got posted to Taraba in 2014.

By the time he got to the bus park in Lagos as he was travelling to resume camp, he met another  corper who was travelling to the same state and by the time the  journey of almost 24 hours ended, they were pretty much friends. By the end of their 21 days in camp, they were posted to the state capital together and that was what spelt the end of his relationship with his girlfriend.

“Gradually I started losing touch with my homegirl,” Babs, 28, confirmed. “I started finding more interest in the NYSC babe.”My homegirl tried to call me to order but because I was always with the other babe, I could not answer her calls,” he says.

What do you think would be of that relationship? Would it survive the test of time and distance? Perhaps, stories abound on the subject matter. Majority of people asked have one experience or another (how relationships are being wrecked because of NYSC scheme). Notwithstanding, not all relationships ends because of NYSC, but these stories and many unshared ones prove that partners have a course to be slightly scared when one gets the call to serve, especially in a different state.

Share your thought with Dubemicky.