BY BENJAMIN NJOKU
Kingship Umoh is a Colonel in the Nigerian Army. He works with the Directorate of Army Public Relations, Bonny Camp. He was enlisted in the Army in 1988, after he finished from the Nigerian Defence Academy. Umoh  passed out in 1993, as a member of the Fourth Regular Course.

How I was enlisted in the army

I consider the story of my journey into the Nigerian army as a very interesting one. I never at any point in my life thought I would become an Army Officer.

I grew up with the usual childhood fantasies. As a child, I wanted to become a pilot. But along the line, my dream shifted and I wanted to become a medical doctor. I pursued the dream for several years without any success.

This is because I was having a lot of issues with my JAMB  examination results. As a result, I later ended up at the University of Calabar  where I started pursuing a single Honour degree in Biological Sciences.

Kingsley Umoh

Unfortunately, after my first- two years sojourn on campus, I became discouraged with the whole situation and threatened to withdraw from the university. But my dad insisted that since I had started my degree programme, I must endeavour to complete it. Surprisingly, given my predicament, my dad dashed the dream of  producing  a medical doctor in his family.

However, still discouraged with the situation I found myself, I started abandoning my lectures, and concentrated more on preparing for my next JAMB examinations.

Apart from JAMB exams, I also went for every other examination that came my way. And that was how I got involved in the Nigerian Defence Academy Examination. Out of sheer determination and hard work, I passed all my  examinations in that particular year. Fortunately, NDA result was the first to be released and my name was on the merit list.

After attending the NDA interview, I realised I also passed my JAMB exams to study Medicine at the University of Port Harcourt. But at this point, I have lost my interest in studying Medicine as it had been overwhelmed by  the success I recorded  in the NDA examination. My understanding was that only the ‘best of the best’ got admitted  into the Nigerian Defence Academy. That was how I ended up in the NDA as an Army Officer.

Growing up  I hail from Akwa-Ibom State. Growing up for me was fun. From 1970s through the 80s formed the bulk of my childhood years. I had a comfortable childhood though my parents were not too rich. I would say I grew up in a middle class family.

I don’t know how many children in the early 70s, who were privileged to attend private schools. I was among the very few children in those days who attended private schools in Lagos. Incidentally, my parents relocated to Calabar the same year I was admitted  into the Federal Government College, Ijaniki. I stayed back to complete my secondary school education.

Between destiny and dream

So far so good, I have risen in the Army to become  a full Colonel. There is no reason I should regret the path I have followed in life. Fate usually has a different plan  for everybody. And for me,  while I was dreaming of becoming either a doctor or a pilot, fate has already destined me to become an Army Officer.

The military has given me a lot of exposure and one of the best things that have happened to me in life is the fact that I ended up as an Army Officer. What you call military service is something that a lot of people do not understand. And I advocate the need for every Nigerian to be given the opportunity to do some kind of military training for at least a year.

That way, they will have a better understanding of what the military service stands for. Apart from the NYSC scheme which exposes the corps members to some kind of military training, young Nigerians from all walks of life should learn to be exposed to the military orientation. If that happens, then, we would have more disciplined and resourceful Nigerians than ever.

For me,  the military is all about  determination, sacrifice,focus and discipline. I have no regret becoming an Army Officer. If there is any lesson I have learnt from the military, it is that of learning to carry ‘oneself’ as he or she journeys through life.

My parents’ reaction to my   decision

My parents were not comfortable with my decision to enlist in the army. But again it explains why I said earlier  that the military life is something that has been misunderstood by a lot of people. If we’d have a better understanding of what the military service is all about, it’s something that every family would want to identify their wards  with.