Reps shoot down bill to check japa

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, unanimously voted against a motion seeking to make the Federal Government address the issues causing Nigerian professionals to migrate to other countries en masse, in search of greener pastures.

A new member of the House, Philip Agbese, had moved a motion titled, ‘Need to Declare Emigration of Young Nigerians Abroad A.K.A Japa Syndrome a National Emergency,’ urging the government to “convene a national summit with key stakeholders to effectively address the ‘Japa syndrome.’

Japa, is a Yoruba slang that simply means flee a problem or trouble.

Agbese also prayed the House to “declare a state of emergency on the factors that predispose young Nigerians to give up on Nigeria in preference for other nations.”

The lawmaker referenced statistics from the Nigerian Economic Summit, showing that a growing number of young Nigerians are relocating abroad.

Agbese said, “The House is concerned that the growing statistics of young Nigerians leaving Nigeria and securing permanent residence in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada portends a grave danger for our nation in many ways from economic to intellectual and social aspects.

“The House is also concerned that the Nigerian population is made of two-thirds of persons under the age of 30 and a good number of these persons are already afflicted with what today is acceptably referred to as the ‘japa syndrome,’ as estimates indicate a staggering tens of thousands have relocated to the USA, Canada, South Africa and, even, Gambia over the last two years.

“The House is worried that the eagerness to migrate to countries that offer hope seems to have compelling influence. The House is also worried that those leaving Nigeria are not just the poor but middle class, who possess skills, including bankers, lecturers, health care practitioners, doctors, nurses, trained manpower, all of whom were trained in Nigeria and emigrating at a time when their services are needed to build a strong and vibrant economy in Nigeria.”

Agbese expressed the concern that if the trend was allowed to continue “with our able minds, brains and skilled personnel leaving, Nigeria may fall into a grave crisis.”

However, after a ranking member of the House, Dennis Idahosa, seconded the motion, another ranking member, Sada Soli, raised a constitutional point of order to say that the motion would infringe on the fundamental rights of Nigerians if adopted by the chamber.

Soli partly said, “It is the liberty of a Nigerian, if he is qualified and he is normal, and he has all the granted right of movement (to) anywhere he wants. It is the right of a Nigerian, if he has the right qualifications, to go anywhere to source for a living.”

Also opposing the bill, the immediate-past Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Wase, said, “As good as the motion may be, first, the fundamental issue raised in the Constitution. If you go to Section 1(3) of the Constitution, it says any law that is inconsistent with the Constitution to the extent of that inconsistency is best null and void.

“So, as far as I am concerned, we have to rule on the point of order (raised by Soli) before we can proceed, otherwise we will be contributing to the contravention of our own constitution.”

When the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, eventually put adoption of the motion to voice vote, the lawmakers unanimously voted against it.