Final Clearance Drama!

Hey y'all,

So, two weeks from today, I will be officially done with NYSC! Mehn, does time fly by or what? Actually, it's felt like a really long year, although I remember my first foray into this NYSC service year. I thank God cos it's almost over - and also for helping me get through yesterday! What happened yesterday, you ask... I'll tell you - FINAL CLEARANCE!

Ok, so I've briefly mentioned Monthly Clearance before (Now That Camp Is Over) - where you submit a letter from your PPA (employer) to your LGI (Local Government Inspector) saying that you worked the previous month...

*side note* maybe before I'm done, I can write a mini NYSC dictionary post explaining what everything is, including acronyms? And another post on 'Introducing Your LGI Office.' *end side note*

Anyways, the month of passing out, you have to submit a Final Clearance letter from your employer, stating that you worked through your service year satisfactorily, don't owe them anything, and that you will now be discharged and handed over back to NYSC. In addition to the letter, you have to submit your cleared CDS card - this is signed by your CD leader or LGI, depending on what CD you joined, and they'll sign off that you completed your CD expectations. Now, since I was in a special CD group, I had to get mine cleared in the NYSC Secretariat in Surulere. This is where the drama happened.

I submitted my card to the head of JASA, under which a lot of special CD groups operate, and she said to get a note from another official saying that he'd looked over my card and it was good to go. This official does most of the signing when we come to CD every week. So I give him the card to look over and he says there's something wrong - that 2 of the signatures on the card are forged, so he can't clear me! WHA THE WHA WHA?!?!?! :-O I'm like "Dude, I haven't forged nothing. I've been coming consistently, every single week. Done all the work required. Submitted my card to you or my CD instructor for signing. I ain't never touched that card to write anything!" And so the back and forth ensued. He actually even wrote a note clearing all the other Batch C corpers, and refused to write my state code to clear me. See me see wahala! The signatures he was talking about were from January, during the strike over the fuel subsidy - at which point, no CDs were even being held! During that period, we were told to submit our cards to our CD instructors so that they could validate them. Which leads me to believe that my CD instructor forged this guy's signature.

Anyways, said CD instructor was with me at the time, trying to argue with the guy on my behalf. He joked with him, pleaded with him, even went so far as lying. Apparently, some 2011 Batch B corps members had forged his signature on their cards, and were reprimanded. So my CD instructor said that my card was among those that had been compromised at that time, and since those were already settled, then the guy should clear me. Now, most people would allow that lie to be told, but I protested. I said "Mr CD Instructor, I know you're lying, trying to get this guy to clear my card, but I can't stand here and let him question my character and integrity. I have done NOTHING wrong, so please don't lie on my behalf." The other Batch C corps members told me to keep quiet and just beg the guy, and I completely refused to! Why should I beg when I did nothing wrong? Begging is as good as admitting that I forged his signature and I did nothing of the sort, so I was willing to stay and argue with him until the office closed! And anyways, he'd asked my CD instructor for my phone number at some point, and was rebuffed, so I think this was his way of getting back at me. *rolling eyes*

Long story short, I stood my ground, and my card got cleared eventually. If I see that ninny anywhere else in my life, Imma give him a real talking to! Next step, going to my NYSC local government office to complete my final clearance. I got there at 1:30pm and expected to be there until 4, maybe 5pm - it's best to mentally prepare yourself for these things so that you don't get aggravated or frustrated. I'd like to say it was a seamless process, but it really wasn't. First of all, we've got a new LGI, and this was her first time of handling us. As soon as I got there, she left to have lunch for about 45 minutes. During that time, I got the necessary documents together, made photocopies, and paid for some bogus items (NYSC foundation, Eko Corper magazine, and somn else - I dunno what it was). We had to pay for those things, or else we wouldn't get the clearance done. From 2:30 to 4:00pm, we got in line, were told to sit down, lined up sitting down, lined up standing up, lined up sitting down again, lined up standing up, and finally lined up standing according to gender. Of course this whole time, people are fighting, shoving, skipping lines, and just being general nuisances. But thank the Lord, I got everything I needed DONE!

GOODBYE NYSC SECRETARIAT, GOODBYE CD, GOODBYE LAGOS ISLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE, GOODBYE GENERAL CD!

The next things to worry about are going back to camp for the Job Awareness seminar (rolls eyes), Passing Out Parade rehearsals (more rolling eyes), and finally the Passing Out Parade, where I pick up my certificate! I'm not sure about going to camp before the Passing Out Parade. On one hand, I heard they take attendance and they're beginning to be really strict... on the other hand, 2 Batch B corps members I know skipped everything and still got their certificates. We'll see. I'm a goody-two shoes, so I'll at least check out the seminar and one rehearsal. Jesus, just help the next 2 weeks go by quickly.

Whew! Longer post than I thought. Gotta get to work. Have a berry pretty day ladies and gentlemen :)

Berry