09/03/2025
An Experience from the Land of My Beautiful Experiences
During my youth service in 2011, I had an experience that still touches my heart till this very moment. Shortly after the NYSC camping, large numbers of us were accommodated by the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) at their Gombe state lodge. It was a mecca of funfair both for we that were ready to stay in Gombe and those fully armed with their letters of redeployments.
A day after our arrival at the NCCF lodge, a young man was in the room having phone conversation with someone unknown to us but he uttered a statement that caught everyone attention which I personally couldn't let go. He told the fellow on the other side of the phone 'as I am talking now, I done de Abuja '. Some one said , Abuja ke ,inside NCCF lodge. I waited for him to finish his conversation then asked him a shocking question: bro who did you lie to between we that are here in the room with you and the person who knows nothing about your location? He was shocked, then I quickly told him this:
Did you know anyone of us prior to this service year, he said, no. I went further, you are actually lieing to us not the person on the other side of the phone. You have only succeeded in telling us, you are not reliable in fact your new friends here may find it difficult to take you for your words because what you did now has become a reference point for them in the future.
Each time you venture into the wrong, you lie to cover the truth, engaged in dishonest arts. It is not the victims of your actions that are solely at the receiving end even those singing your praises right in the art are also not left out. In fact, they are the real enemies waiting for an opportune time to use it against you. In the words of Nigeria formal vice presidents professor Yemi Osinbanjo even the worst of dishonest, corrupt men of our society also looks for honest men who could keep and watch over their stolen money.
