“Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” – William Shakespeare
The subject of greatness is an age-long one. It is a subject that has aroused much interest across different circles. Princeton University Word Net describes greatness as “the property possessed by someone of outstanding importance or eminence. “
Greatness should be the quest of every progressive mind, as the world does not celebrate mediocrity rather, it celebrates and rewards excellence. Our generation will not remember how many times we failed but the exact time we succeed in stepping into the hall of greatness. As a matter of fact, when you achieve greatness, you will know it.
The National Youth Service Corps (N.Y.S.C) scheme is a Federal government scheme in Nigeria for new University graduates. The scheme is a great one which allows Youths from the nooks and crannies of the federation to be brought together, regardless of cultural and ethnic differences. During the three-week camping, the young graduates are exposed to paramilitary training through which they are imparted with core values like tolerance, adaptation, patriotism, endurance, team spirit and unity. All of these qualities are very instrumental to achieving personal greatness and above all they are the very necessary virtues which are needed for intercultural integration and national development.
Interestingly, it has been psychologically proven that it takes twenty -one days to break or form a new habit. The three-week period of orientation of corps members could not have been an accidental occurrence but rather a proper means to an end. This is because it provides ample period to discard old habits and also build new ones.
On achieving greatness, William Shakespeare opines that ‘some men are born great, some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them” The intended three -week orientation period, in other words the five-hundred and four hours is a very important period of re-orientation and it’s existence for over 25 years, establishes the fact that with unity we can all achieve greatness irrespective of our various fields of discipline, ethnicity or religious affiliation.
Conclusively, personal greatness is desirable, it should be the lever from which other great form of greatness is achieved this is because the truest form of greatness is that which permeates our entire being and beyond, affecting positively our generation, our great nation and the world at large.
Long Live National Youth Service Corps.
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.