Emmanuel Onwubiko: NYSC: Handshake in a time of COVID-19 Published It is said that our native tongues are so strong and are endowed with the eternal gifts of proverbs (which Professor Chinua Achebe described as the palm oil with which words are eaten) that are tested, trusted, credible and pragmatic. For the purpose of the opening of this reflection, the one good proverb that comes to mind is that which goes thus: “mberede nyiri dike, ma na mberede ka eji ama dike”, meaning that emergency sometimes defies the strength of a strong hearted person but it is exactly during emergency that strong persons are identified”.