How to join OBS in the NYSC orientation camp

How to join OBS in the NYSC orientation camp.

This is a personal life experience of Abdullahi Aishat Damilola.

She is currently a 2019 Batch C Stream 1 Borno Corps Member who did her NYSC Orientation Exercise in Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, Katsina State due to insecurity been experienced in Borno State.

Catch her on YouTube right at her Channel.

Orientation Broadcasting Service (OBS) is one of the few recognized and important organization at camp and I was fortunate to be one of the members. It takes discipline and prioritizing it for you to be a member and also an active one because there are a lot of activities you might want to involve yourself in but because you’re a member of the OBS crew you might not be able to, I’ll be writing my experience, lessons learnt and how we were screened in to become a member, limiting it to NYSC Borno which we camped at Katsina during 2019 Batch C Stream 1.

This is for those interested in joining, the Prospective Corps Members (PCMs), those who feel like they don’t know what it’s all about because even at camp with my tag on some fellow corps members still asked please what’s the full meaning of OBS so I guess this will help in a way, those who were part of their various OBS crew in other camps can also share so others can learn. I’ll continue right below.

Hope you enjoy it and below is a picture of me with my tag on. Lolll.

After my a day plus journey, I was seriously stressed but I was still trying to search if I could see a sign post with OBS on it. I have read various blog post before going to camp and they were all like once you get to camp look for the studio and make enquiries.

The second day at camp was for registration, I sha ensured I finished my registration and also got my NYSC Kits. I still didn’t ask anyone about OBS, in the evening of that day I asked my friend whom we came from same school if he was interested in joining since he was also a mass communication student, he said he was. There was still no sign of OBS anywhere so the guy who was first our proposed platoon leader (later became the platoon leader) was around I also asked him so he told he it was around the kitchen area, this time I was feeling like I was late and maybe they were taking people in already.

The third day came so fast and still no sign, so that night I went to the mosque to pray and on my way back to the hostel I decided let me check out the kitchen area since that’s where it is said to be, mind you I heard a guy talking that night on relationship and stuff. I was like I am late people got in already (in my mind o) lol. So I saw another lady who looked more like a staff well I don’t know around the kitchen area and asked her and she said she’s not sure but it’s within this area, luckily for me I was moving in the right direction. I got in front of the place, walked in.

I wasn’t too wowed (ours isn’t like the ideal OBS studio of some states) and mind you, we weren’t even in our state of deployment so things weren’t really set. I met a man there he was the one taking care of the place and handling the studio till corps members were recruited, he was nice, I told him my reasons for coming and that I want to make enquiries and know more and if registration has started and all sha, he gave me a foolscap sheet to put down my name, is that all I asked, he said Yes! A friend already told me before then that we should go through a screening process so with this I felt like we would be too crowded no screening nothing, I thanked him and left. My friend who was also interested! I called him immediately I left there so he went to put down his name and that was it for that day.

The next day I went there in the morning and the guy I met a night before told me that I should check back later in the day that the screening process would be discussed to us. Later that day, the person in charge of the media stuffs on camp he’s called the PRO spoke with all of the interested person, we were plentyyyy o ehn. The man gave us like a one hour speech I was tired (lol). He started with mass communication students and said they automatically have a slot because of their course, well I read marketing I wouldn’t say by mistake because I learnt a lot, but if I read mass communication it would have made stuffs more easier for me in the media space, after which he asked of those who have experiences in various TVs or radio stations. Thank God I have experience o, so he asked us questions, the radio station, location what we did etc., mine was at Albarka FM 89.9 Ilorin, thanks to my mentor for the opportunity, else things might have been slightly difficult with my course alone.

People were seriously jotting as he was talking, it went on like that, then he said we still have task’s we all would come up with a program demo (the screening), a program we feel we can anchor or if possible write out a program that could be produced. I was ready for it but what would the program be on? We were to submit the next morning by 10am. He also pleaded and advised those that joined all in the name to avoid drillings and some other activities not to see OBS as a hiding place as only those who would be on duty should be found in the studio at that time, some persons got discouraged already because they couldn’t think of a program, some because they couldn’t start writing but we all have reasons why we do stuffs right?

The next day we went for daily lectures and the lecture as usual was boring, I sat at the front close to where some guys who were already part of the OBS sat, they were the technical crew, that one was more important so they called for people who could handle those technical stuffs and got some interested persons. One of the guys was on a face mask, I’ll show an example, so I couldn’t even see his face, then he was saying something and describing with his face but I couldn’t tell until he removed the mask and said you have a beautiful face lol. I said thank you and the we started conversing since the lecture was boring everyone was trying to keep their selves busy. Here is a picture of me on a face mask (lol) the dust is too too much so a face mask would be very helpful and needed.

 

So, the next day during breakfast was when I decided it was time for me to write my own program demo, I submitted sha with the hope that I get picked. The man in charge was strict and that was one thing I really like about him, he gave everyone a opportunity to try. The friends I met a day before who were already part of the OBS technical team called me later that afternoon, I was sleeping, you know at camp there’s barely time to rest so that little time I decided to sleep this call came in and he said if I was free, if not, I should come to the studio, I was like I am sleeping but he insisted, I got there only to find out he wanted to anchor a program so he wanted me to be his guest, that was when the popularity began, it was on relationship issues and I gave my points straight forward, guys were furious and kept asking who is this Aishat, who is this Aishat, all these while I wasn’t still part of the OBS.

It was later that evening the names were pasted at the entrance as said, I checked my name and found it in two sessions. The program department and the marketing department. That was how the journey began. I was so interested in joining so as to keep myself busy, but seriously it takes a lot, there were times I missed my meals, times I skipped afternoon siesta, but seriously, I really had fun and it was one of the place I learnt a lot at camp. I became the shout out girl, because in the marketing department we were in charge of shout outs and asking fellow Corps members to come call their loved one’s at affordable prices. Adverts were also done, we had musician’s/artists who aired their songs, we put calls through to Dubai, USA etc.

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It was an eye opening experience for me especially because some people were nice to me because, I was Aisha the OBS girl, the shout out girl (lol), I made mistakes and was corrected. I remember putting calls through to parents with the intro. Hello, Good afternoon, My name is Aisha from Orientation Broadcasting Service Borno here/camping in Katsina and you’re live on air, how are you today sir/ma…….. Some parents would start praying for me, some lovers sent their regards, well why it was so for me was because I was very serious with the role, I wasn’t the only one in the marketing department though, but I did it more often, people started insisting I air their shout outs even when I wasn’t on duty. It is one experience I won’t forget easily.

My advice, whatever you’ll have the opportunity to do, do it well, your integrity will speak for you, be dedicated and always try to stand out not by faking it, but by being your real self and being you, try to explore and live each day like it’s your last because at the end, you’ll not regret the things you did, instead the things you didn’t do. And your passion if used well will bring you out no matter how much you hide in the shell of shyness.

Since Borno is automatic redeployment, all of the corps members that decided not to redeploy, all of us were posted to Maiduguri Metropolitan, no one was posted to the villages or small town, we are in the main city and we all have good PPAs, ranging from ministries to secondary schools to polytechnic etc. and yes, it is easier if you do your redeployment from camp instead of paying someone who you’re not sure might get it done, everyone gets the form at camp (those interested) and on the day you’re leaving camp, you’ll see where you’re posted to, it’s way better and easier, the thing is you’ll be told not to pick the state of your origin, your university/school you finished from. But this automatic redeployment is for Borno and very few other states (Yobe and Adamawa) due to the security reasons and some other reasons, so don’t think if you’re posted to Edo there’s automatic redeployment you’re on your own o. Lol.

Thank you so much for reading.

My email is always open for suggestions, recommendations at abdulnana08@gmail.com.

Here are some pictures for viewing pleasure.