I Just Received a Query From the LGI’s Table

My very first query as a corp member.

And the funniest part?

It didn’t come from the principal of my PPA. No. That would have been too normal, too predictable. This one came from a more solemn, more intimidating source: the desk of the Local Government Inspector (LGI).

If you understand the weight of a query from that table, an official letter tucked silently inside your file, you’ll understand why my body did small shiver. Because here’s something many don’t know about NYSC 🇳🇬.

Firstly, every corp member has a file. And that file follows you like a shadow.

And if that file gathers more than three queries, congratulations , you may just earn yourself an extension; The NYSC version of academic carry-over, except this one comes with no allowance and a heavier heart.

My crime?

I missed CDS for two consecutive weeks, two harmless-looking Fridays.

But in this part of the country where I serve, that’s a grave offence. The system here doesn’t run on compassion; it runs on tradition and structure.

As a teacher, my workdays stretch from Monday to Thursday, four days of pouring myself into young minds.

But Fridays? Fridays belong to the gods of NYSC, for CDS , Community Development Service.

• 🚦 Depending on your posting, CDS could mean anything.
• For some, it’s Environmental CDS: sweeping markets, cleaning schools, bagging dirt, and sweating for the nation.

If you’re lucky, after the entire clean up exercise , they may reward you with a sachet of water… or at least a nod of appreciation.

But in Okene? The story takes a darker turn.

After sweeping and sweating like pure water sellers under the sun, some corps members still have to beg for trash bags to bin the refuse. Unfair is an understatement.

Let’s Talk About My Main CDS: Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)

PRO of Okene FRSC Team On Fleek. Peep our banner too.

I belong to the FRSC CDS group.

The name sounds more serious than it feels… and yet, it is serious.

As a CDS team, We assemble at the FRSC station, where the boss , usually called something formal and intimidating ; The Unit Commander , addresses us.

We get instructions, then deploy for traffic control or community sensitization.

I currently serve as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the group. This means you’ll usually find me holding a phone, camera, or something with a lens, capturing angles, documenting activities, and sharing updates with the team and our FRSC head.

And yes, I’ve equally flirted with another CDS group, Media CDS.

The Entire Media CDs team of Okene , 2024/25. Batch B2.

The radio station calls my name in a special way. Something about microphones, jingles, and voice-overs just feels like home. I go there occasionally, not because it’s my official CDS, but because I genuinely enjoy the atmosphere.

There was even a day they almost made me President of Media CDS.

Almost.

Until someone whispered the forbidden knowledge: “He’s the PRO of FRSC.”

My own CDS president fought the idea with a passion that bordered on jealousy.

“It cannot happen,” he said.

Honestly, I don’t blame him. Maybe he feared I’d carry my beautiful pictures, my media energy, and my over-functioning tendencies away from the group, haha.

Other CDS Groups I Admire From Afar

🚦 Charity CDS , which focuses on sharing food and clothing with vulnerable people. 🚦 Drug-Free & Quality Control CDS burdened with the task of going to schools to educate students on substance abuse. 🚦 Education CDS , the everywhere-and-everything group; they fit in like seasoning cubes because anything education , you have to find them there.

Each group has its own vibe, its own rhythm, its own drama.

But here’s the real twist…

CDS Is Deeply Contextual in Nigeria

In some states, CDS is a suggestion, not a rule. Corps members skip for weeks, months even, without consequences.

But in my local government?

Miss two Fridays and the LGI’s pen begins to itch.

Lastly In NYSC, there are two types of CDS attendees .

• The serious ones who can never miss a CDS day.
• The unserious ones who homes once in a week.

Where you fall depends entirely on where you’re posted.

The Lesson in All of This

As someone who has tasted what being issued a query feel like, I feel I’m in the best place to tell you that a query is not the end of the world.

It is simply the system whispering gently:

“We are watching.”

And it only makes you thread with caution. if you do, you have no issues enjoying your service year.

If you read up to this point and you’re currently serving , or have served , I’m curious:How was CDS in your area? National duty or weekly inconvenience? Serious or unserious?

Please let me know in the comments and with that?

thank you for coming to my T€D Writes ✍🏿.

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