MORE MONEY, MORE COST

Your phone gives a message tone. You open the message and discover it's an alert sms from your bank informing you of payment of nineteen thousand and eight hundred naira. What goes through your mind suddenly? ‘Ah thank God, now I go fit go pepperoni’ or ‘I could take that girl on a date now’. What about buying some new clothes and shoes, visiting a hot spot, increasing call units and for those of us who are trustworthy, paying back those they owe.

It was a thing of joy, when the president had formally announced the increment of corpers salaries from nine thousand to its present amount, nearly one hundred percent increment. Even when it was paid into accounts, some could not believe it. So, now that we have money and the Nigerian government has taken a leap to encourage our services towards the nation, what will our spending culture be like? Would we become wiser or foolish?

Now that our salaries are higher, it is important that we keep a check on ourselves so as not be among the foolish ones. Here are some tips. First of all, if possible, maintain the culture as was before increment. This may seem impossible, but it would be worth it if you could just pretend that the other ten thousand and three hundred naira did not exist.

Another thing is to differentiate from your wants and needs. Needs are things we cannot do without; wants are desired. It is agreed that as we advance in life, some wants tend to become needs to get to our desired destination. However, we must work within the confines of our budget constraints.

Avoid claiming Mr. or Miss Rich Kid. We deliberately entertain our friends in a luxurious manner when they visit. Some of us just like to be seen as that girl or guy who has money. Also, even if you do want to take someone out, perhaps your fiancé or even have a little get-together, the parties involved could donate money instead of the cost burden being on one person.

In the area of clothes, no matter how many clothes or shoes we buy (especially women), we’ll always more. The question isn’t if the clothes enough, the question is how do we maintain these ones that we have to make them last longer and still have that nice look? Using the right cleaning and handling methods for clothes go a long way in ensuring their durability. For example, shirts are not to be washed with detergents but body soaps. Suits are meant to be dry-cleaned and soft materials are meant to be ironed at a low temperature. Gather more information on proper maintenance of clothes from Google.

Another hole that also empties the pockets of most ladies is hair styling. Some go as far spending N6000 on a hairstyle that could last for just three weeks to a month. This is lavish spending and your pocket size cannot accommodate such an expense at the moment. Instead, why not go for cheaper but nice looking hairstyles. Funny enough, not all the best hair stylists have salons and big shops at the plazas. Some may stay in wooden shacks but when their hands get to work, you would be amazed. Rather than spending three to four thousand on attachments and weave-ons, why not style with your own hair. After all, you do have hair.

Also, try limiting your outings. This may be tough, but it is true. Too much adventures on a little amount of money is not reasonable and will suck you dry. This doesn’t mean you should stay in your house all day, but do draw a line between places that could be overlooked and places that are necessary to go to. For example, the zonal office when called upon, church, your place of primary assignment, CDS meetings and NYSC related events are all necessary. However, a party is not.

In terms of food, cooking is much cheaper than buying from restaurants everyday. This is because, you can be tempted to buy more than necessary at a restaurant but while in your residence, you are limited to what you have. However, you could spice up your food to give you that lush feeling, but do this once in a while.

One thing that man can never get enough of is money and this includes corps members. With more money, comes more costs and it is almost inevitable. But we all must know that income is equals to expenditure plus savings. As corps members, it would be foolish not to have anything set aside for the rainy day, spending it all makes us no different from the person who did not go to school. Now that you have more, how will you manage it to accommodate you for a whole month?

CHINONSO DANIELLA EDEH

BY/11B/0665

OUT OF CAMP AND IN THE FIELD

It’s when corps members are out of camp, that they begin to regret their behaviors while they were on camp, especially those who stabbed lectures. It is indeed a pity, that people who call themselves graduates do not have an understanding of the meaning of 'orientation programme.' While on camp, a corps member is supposed to prepare himself for what he is likely to face during his one year of service. The orientation programme is not only to equip the corps members with information, but also to make him fully aware of his responsibilities and duties as a corps member and how he is expected to carry them out.

Most of us came on the NYSC programme with the feeling of making it big. That is, making the most we can in a month, relaxing and enjoying ourselves. This is not what NYSC is about. In all honesty, NYSC is mandatory service programme. Though this is an irony, considering the fact that service should be voluntary and not the other way around, it is what it is. We are not expected to come on the programme and make it big in pockets, but in the heart.

The tenets of NYSC are development, integration and unity. Every corps member represents a Nigerian citizen working to develop their immediate community, one that that is against tribalism and seeks to eliminate division on the Nigerian soil. YOU ARE A CHANGE AGENT. Considering the weight of this position, one must be prepared and preparation involves having knowledge before field execution. This is where the orientation camp comes in.

Now, you may ask, how do all activities during the orientation match up to preparing me as a corps member? Let’s take it one after the other. First, is the morning drill and physical exercise. Like any other security unit, some form of physical training must be exerted. Though we are not soldiers or policemen, we are corps members and we fall under a unit of security. Physical training helps to infuse discipline, fitness, healthy attitude towards life and determination to succeed in the doer. All these are necessary to succeed in the field.

While on camp, you are most likely to queue for everything. Though this may be purely coincidental, considering the ratio of corps members to officers attending to them, it is also part of the learning process. Queuing up can teach you any of these three things; always be early, wait your turn and when you're late, forget it. This is same for food and any other form of registration.

Community Development Service (CDS) groups would be on camp to recruit you. Groups like the Orientation Broadcasting Service (OBS, which is called EDITORIAL BOARD out of camp), MDGs (millennium development goals), HIV/AIDS, EFCC, JTF, ROAD SAFETY, RED CROSS, DANCE and DRAMA and a few others. All these groups are special CDSes due to their functions. It is advisable to join one of them while on camp, to ease the search for a CDS once posting letters are out. Usually, most corps members indicate interest in joining these special groups after, but it was too late as they were already filled up.

Once something is out of the mouth during lecture time, and you have no notebook, it can hardly be recalled, talk less of you not being present for the lectures. All lectures during the NYSC programme are vital. Information on safety tips, language and customs of host communities, entrepreneurship series, duties and responsibilities of a corps member and presentation by CDS groups and organizations to recruit corps members for their training programme help the corper. Most times, NIM (Nigerian Institute of Management) and IPMP (Institute of Project Management Professionals), are usually the first organizations to recruit corps members into their training programme.

In all, there is no activity on camp that is a waste of time, even marching. Though we are all graduates, we must humble ourselves and take the orientation seriously. So many corpers have gotten into terrible hiccups during their service year and all because they treated their on-camp duties as jokes. Preparation is only three weeks, field work is eleven months. What does that tell you? Be smart.  

CHINONSO DANIELLA EDEH

BY/11B/0665

GOT A GAME PLAN?

The ultimate question is this, what next? For most of us, we have a lot of questions to answer such as; do I stay back in this state or go back to my base? How sure am I to find work back home? Now that I am not entitled to accommodation, how do I pay for it? My parents have told me I’m an adult and I should take care of myself, can I cope with these meager salaries? Who do I live with and can I live alone? Is it safe? When do I get married and is my soul mate here? Endless questions flood our minds as we near the date when we are told to officially 'pass out' of the NYSC programme. The truth is this, to get a good head start at our after-NYSC life, we must answer these questions.

Staying back is a big decision and is dependent on so many factors. One, the work environment. Is the pay adequate to take care of all the bills, including welfare and occasional replenishing of wardrobes? Are the people in the office friendly and willing to help you acclimatize to recent changes both in your office duties and your status as a citizen? Is the area safe? Can you afford accommodation for yourself now that you are no longer a corper? These questions must be answered and you must answer them without sentiment because when it comes to work and money, emotions are never involved.

A life partner has become one of life's hidden treasures and for most of us, we are impatient to find it. Everyone just wants a map pointing to a direction shouting, 'there it is!' Unfortunately, when it comes to issues of the heart, patience is required. Some of us found our life partners during the NYSC programme. Most of who did had our weddings during the NYSC programme since the scheme provided financial assistance to ease the stress of the two lovebirds involved. Now there will be no financial assistance; just you, your pay from work and your guts to face the world. Would it be easy? Not in the least. However, for those of us who are Christians, it is advisable that we leave such matters to God and allow Him to direct our footsteps. The eye can be deceived, but the spirit of God in you, cannot. Do not make finding a soul mate a reason for staying back. Some of us have this notion, of men or women in a particular area being more marriageable than others. Even if this is true, if both of you are to be together, the Lord will bring it to pass in His time. Of all issues to take into your hands, marriage is definitely not one of them.

The issue of safety, cost of living and availability of jobs is also an important factor for those considering staying back in a state? If unsafe, can you cope with the amount of hostility, where there is a high cost of living will you be able to make up for it and in the first place, are there jobs available back here? Remember, that while answering these questions, you must be objective and where there is a question mark as regards safety, you should project into the future to see if things would be for the better. However, for the sake of simplicity, let us all look at these factors in terms of the present. Do they favor you now?

For those of us who do not want work for anyone but already have a business we’d like to tow into, bravo to you. However you also have some questions answer. Have you conducted a feasibility study and if so, does it favor your proposed business idea? In the event of failure of the business, where does money to pay off debts come from? Will your target audience be satisfied with this new product? What about sustainability and cost of embarking on a business venture of that sort? All these will be answered in your business plan, and you MUST possess one.

What about those who are leaving and going back to their base states. It would be much easier to take in if there were jobs waiting for such category of people. If you are one of them, then you had better start building your network base and singing your name in the ears of those who do or do not want to hear, as the fact is, you've been absent from the scene for nearly one year. You are now your own advertiser.

Living apart from parent's donations to our welfare package can be quite disturbing. Some of us have lived on our parents our whole lives, the rest of us have parents that have been reducing their quotas as a way of hinting us that we are near the adult stage of life and others, have gotten an early start in living on the labor of their own hands. For the first set of people, this would be the hardest, as they most times lack self-discipline and budgeting skills. As you switch over from corper to adult, you must imbibe the habits of regulating your spending and planning your costs. If not, you would wind up stranded, starving and savaged. In other words, you'll be a total wreck.

After-NYSC, what next? It’s a big question but it is advisable that it should be answered at least two weeks to the passing out day. So to those of who have passed out or are looking to exit the NYSC scheme, I ask; got a game plan?

CHINONSO DANIELLA EDEH

BY/11B/0665