‘Tackling Unemployment Will Address Japa Syndrome’
Fidelis David in Akure
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Canada chapter, Mr. Omololu Nick Apata, yesterday declared that the wave of ‘Japa’ syndrome (Nigerian slang for emigration) is a temporary phenomenon that will
eventually fizzle, especially when unemployment is reduced to the barest minimum.
In recent times, migration of Nigerian youths to European countries has increased geometrically, a move which experts adduced to poor working conditions and remuneration, insecurity, and unfriendly economic realities.
However, Apata in a statement made available to journalists through a chieftain of APC in Ondo State and Media Director for the APC Presidential Council for Canada, Dr. Abiola Oshodi, described the wave as a non-permanent one.
The APC chieftain explained that if
Nigerians, especially the political elites or the masses, can vote for the people with the right leadership skills and experience, they will revive Nigeria’s economy, thereby putting an end to the phenomenon.
The statement read: “The idea of ‘Japa’ is not new in our human history. Immigration has been one powerful vehicle in how diverse our world has become. It is true that there’s a spike in the number of young people eager to leave the country due to the general sense that the country is not working for them economically. However, our country is not in a state of war, so, this is a voluntary exit and not a forced one.
“Nigeria has so much to offer its citizens that they cannot find abroad. That’s why I see Japa as a temporary phenomenon that will eventually fizzle, especially when unemployment is reduced to bare minimum.”
Speaking on the forthcoming election, Apata said APC Canada chapter has continued to work hard in collaboration with the party’s Diaspora Directorate under the leadership of Prince Ade Omole to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerges as the next president of Nigeria.
“This support is partly financial and in the coordination of campaign events. At the individual level, our members are connecting with families and friends in Nigeria on how critically important it is for them and their friends to support and cast their votes for our presidential candidate. In the remaining few weeks before the election, we plan to intensify our efforts in as many areas as necessary for Tinubu’s victory in February.
“For years, Nigerians in the diaspora have been clamouring for the opportunity to cast their votes in their country’s elections irrespective of where they are around the world. This, to me, is a fundamental right whichever way one looks at it. Most of our citizens living abroad are patriots who love their country of birth wholeheartedly.
“It is not just limited to this sense of attachment; it is also reflected in the amount of remittance that flows into Nigeria from her citizens in the diaspora. I am hopeful that if elected as President, Tinubu would push this very important issue of diaspora voting to the front burner of his presidential agenda. I feel disappointed that many of us would not be voting in the February elections, but I am also hopeful that with the victory of our presidential candidate, we will all get the franchise in subsequent elections.
“It is important to stress that APC Canada chapter is partly an offshoot of ACN. Many of our members have been supporting Tinubu before the birth of APC. What attracted us to ACN at the time was rooted in our passion for a better and greater Nigeria,” he said.
On insecurity, Apata said: “It is true that we face some challenges as a country. I consider security and youth unemployment as the most pressing issues being tackled by our leaders. As challenging as they are, these problems
are not insurmountable. On the security front, President Buhari has done a good job of diminishing the presence and activities of Boko Haram.”
