Kebbi State – The Land Of Equity

— JOAN The Writer - Chapter Thirteen

Kebbi State – The Land Of Equity

We arrived at the Orientation Camp at midnight. The driver was obviously tired as he parked his car to take a nap before journeying back to Kaduna. We had spent over eight hours on the road. 

Our eyes were heavy with sleep, and all we yearned for was a room and a warm bath. 

At the entrance, there were some soldiers. The soldiers searched each bag carefully to see if there were any sharp objects capable of injuring or bringing about an accident on the camp. 

Some of us who had stainless spoons and forks threw them away before it got to our turn. It was better to engage a civilian than a soldier who doesn’t give room for dialogues. 

Three of our fellow corp members whom we parted with at the Abuja park, were also present at the entrance. 

We finally got in, and the ladies separated from the men as we were assigned different hostels. 

The men headed towards the left where the boy’s hostel was and the ladies went the other way to locate their hostels.

“Good night guys,” I said to John and Emeka . Both of them finally got caught up with each other.

Emeka hadn’t gotten into any conversation with me as he slept through most of the journey. 

Even when we had issues with the driver at Abuja, he said little or no words. 

The first block belonging to the girls’ hostel was already filled with people. We had arrived a day later than we ought to. This made us really exhausted. 

I kept dragging my bag with the married lady’s bags from one hostel to another. By the time we checked the third hostel, there were four empty beds in one of the rooms. 

Relieved at what we had seen, we dragged our bags inside, this time hurriedly.

Some of the girls were already asleep. Some were half dressed, while few were outside having their baths. 

We settled in late, after managing to fetch water outside, then taking it to the bathroom to shower.

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Quite a number of girls enjoyed taking their baths outside the hostel. 

There were those who were uncomfortable with that. People like me, who couldn’t change underwear without first stealing a glance to see if anyone noticed. 

The following morning was terrible as we had to wake up as early as 4:30am to catch up with the morning drill.

My eyes were dimmed. They were swollen like one who had engaged in a fight. I was pretty sure heavy smokers had clearer eyes than I did have that early morning. 

No one seemed happy to be awake. 

After the morning drill we waited a while before heading to the kitchen where we got served. 

Emeka and I were in platoon 10, while John got platoon 8. The married woman and Goke, got Platoon 1. We had platoons one to ten, and each of us had someone whom we had traveled with from Lagos. 

We spent three weeks at the camp. 

At the end of our activities at the camp, we were posted to our various places of primary assignments. 

After the three weeks camp, there were rooms for corps members to relocate to another state. Some relocated due to health reasons, some marital and some for personal reasons. 

The number of relocations out of Kebbi State was much. 

A day before we left the camp for our various Places of Primary Assignment (PPA), I had a conversation with Emeka after the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development’s class. SAED was initiated to empower Nigerian graduates with at least a skill and to strengthen their entrepreneurial spirit. 

I attended the hair making class, while Emeka attended the barbing class.

We used the same hall for our classes and saw each other often.

“Can we go to the Mammy market together?” he asked

“Yes, I’m really famished,” I answered.

The Mammy market was the place where we had everything bought from food to drinks, to suya to food flask, clothes, charging of phones, and tailors to amend our uniforms when they misfit. 

In short, it was a market only that it had mammy attached, and that it was in the camp. 

Also Read Keffi, not Kebbi State

Markets referred to as Mammy markets were found in military barracks. 

“What would you like to eat?” he asked

“I think I’d like jollof rice since we already had yam as breakfast,” I answered

We bought jollof rice from one of the shops. After eating we took our phones to a shop to charge. 

“You never said anything to me about where you stay in Lagos,” Emeka uttered

“I stay at Falomo. Do you know about it?” I asked

“Yes, I do,” he answered

“I know the popular St. George’s school and the The Church of Assumption”

“Really?”

“Yes,” he said.

“I know you stay at Surulere. I remembered you mentioned it on the group chat”

“Is this your first visit outside Lagos?” I asked

“No”

“I travel frequently to my home state.”

“My parents are both from Nsukka in Enugu State. I did my undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.”

“You must be a lion then,” I remarked

“Yes, I am,” he said with a little roar.

Not until he grinned did I notice the diastema.

“Would you be staying back in Kebbi?” I asked with interest

“I would have loved to, but the distance scares me. Did you notice how mute I was throughout our journey? The experience we had with the driver was horrible. I really have to return to Lagos.” 

I could still smell fear as he spoke 

“I understand,” I said sympathetically

“What about you?” he asked

“I never wanted to come in the first place. The experience we had on the way added to my fears. But after the orientation given about this state, I’ve decided to spend my one year of service here.”

“You must be the Diana of Nigeria,” he said

“I have my fears too,” I answered

“Whenever you’re back to Lagos, let’s try this friendship out and see what it holds in store for us,” he said

“Sure, I would love that. I’ll keep in touch with you.” I responded

After the final address, cabs and buses were ready to convey us to our various PPA’s. Those planning to relocate, and those who already sorted their relocation were to travel with buses back to wherever they relocated to. 

The married lady who came with us was given an automatic relocation. 

Out of the fifteen people we traveled with, I only saw twelve of us. The location of the other three was unknown to me. They could have been there with us without me realizing. After all, we were two thousand in numbers. 

Nine people relocated, while John and I stayed back in Kebbi State. 

I was posted to Government Day Secondary School, Amanawa in Zuru Local Government. John on the other hand, was posted to the State’s capital – Birnin Kebbi. 

At the school where I was posted to, I reported to the office of the principal where I was welcomed to the school by the staff. 

I was assigned to assist the Mathematics and Business Studies teachers in the senior classes. 

When I called to tell my mother that I had decided to stay in Kebbi State for one year, she screamed, giving the phone to my stepfather.

“You have made a wise decision,” he said.

“In years to come, you will discover that this journey was needed to help discover who and what you are Joan,”

“I’m proud of you, daughter.”

This was the first time my stepfather called me daughter. And I was happy to hear that from him. 

Mother collected the phone from him and promised to inform my siblings who would talk senses into me. 

I ended the conversation promising to check on them frequently. 

At that moment I imagined what my mother would say afterwards to my stepfather and how the house would be without me.