Does JAPA Cures SAPA? BY Oyekoya Tunde

Japa and Sapa are two Yoruba locutions, the former means to run away while the later means lack, both words must have found their ways into the dictionary, constructively people now use both in all tenses, I japaed, I am japaing, she japaes, I am Sapa, as funny as these words sound, it connotes the reality we experience everyday it affects our daily lives and leaves the country at the edge of having our professionals trading their skills outside the country for a better wage or dignity while we lag behind in development and growth.

The Japa syndrome is a common pandemic in recent times, Nigerians of different stratifications have taken the japa pills as antidotes to many of the economy hardships that are humanly created and ignorantly imposed on the system in search of a greener pasture.

My recent visit to the Nigeria immigration office was a moment of epiphany that a very huge population of Nigerians seek every artery to relocate out of the country, Nigerians visit the passport office in droves to secure their international passports in preparedness of any opportunity to leave the shore of the country.

I was lucky to have a chat with a man on the reason why he felt he needed to japa, he narrated how he had ventured into businesses and his investments went into moribund, so he opted to leave while his family will join him later, inquisitively I demanded to know if it happened that he could not secure his residential permit for 10 years or more, he vehemently showed no secondary thought and proposed that as long as he is being able to send money home for his family , he will be fine, this is the extent at which many have been rigid by the epileptic policies and the unfriendliness of our government.

In an attempt to secure a better tomorrow, some have opted to take the most obnoxious route, travelling by land, through Egypt, Morocco to france to get the diasporian nomenclature.

Obviously, Nigerians live in a volatile, uncertain and ambiguous system, the Nigerian project has become a mirage leaving many in absolute doubt that the nation may not gain the much solicited transformational agenda which will usher in a new nation of equity, optimism and creativity.

A rapt consideration made me feel should there be a “JAPA’S ARK” that bears resemblance to NOAH’S ARK and to serve the same purpose of migrating people, Nigeria may become a desert, an unbelievable larger population will join the Ark to find solace and tranquility.

I am a realist and I will not speak against anyone who has decided to japa, as long as the process is genuine, the missions, both on short and long term are established and the person has the desire to behave in accordance with the laws of his new country of residence.

But not everyone must japa, if you have a good job here in Nigeria or an established enterprise it will be unfortunate to abandon such investment or sell your properties for an ephemeral spices which may never compensate for everything you have built over the years.

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When we take statistics of Nigerians who had left in the last couple of years, it will amaze us that many professionals had preferred to pick up menial jobs to survive.

Taking a clue from an average family where the total income of both parents are not more than 200k with 2 children and yearly house rent to pay and other expenses you can just imagine how emotionally imbalanced such a family suffers.

The Government at this point in time needs to think outside the box, the basic things of life are becoming too expensive, even the air freely given to us has been polluted with corruption, hunger, unrest and others and my fear is that the rate at which people suffer to eat.

There is a danger looming, should this trend continue, the likely offsprings of the present starvation and penury may be too much to bear, it is easier for many of us to masquarade the fact that people are suffering, brain drain is alarming, many are homeless, family bonds are being broken and the society will suffer from these misfortunes.

I see a country that if things are not done rightly, our hospitals shall be occupied not by medical doctors or nurses but Babalawo and Orisabunmi, when the building and construction companies and other professionals will be polluted by high level of inexperienced people or quacks.

The present administration has come out to tell us they met a collapsed economy, a chintzy excuse but these same people gave us Buhari and after his abysmal performance , they took to the streets and campaigned for his second term, so it is absurd to hear them tell us that the economy is bad, a problem which they created by giving us a leader with epileptic ideas.

Having said all these, the question is does JAPA cure SAPA,? I agree it does as long as you are not lazy, in western world like Canada, America, Australia , United kingdom, you will get reward for your efforts and dignity in labour.

So If you must japa to cure SAPA, please do as long as you will not be webbed only by the ecstacy of living abroad and remember everything comes with a price, as a married person, leaving may distance you from your family especially your partner and children, the belief you will get your permanent stay may take longer than expected, so you may not see your caring parents till they pass away but if you can pay the price, beat the hurdles, ready to be focused, have a target and equip yourself, I see no reason why you should not japa to solve your Sapa palava.

This period reminds me of that popular song about Mr Andrew,…. (Lyrics) Andrew make you no check out oo, Nigeria go better, Nigeria go better, Africa go better, my people go survive oo, Nigeria go better, this song is over 2 decades and I ask does it mean we have degenerated more as a nation, as it was in the day of Mr Andrew so it is in the present day.

May God save us as a Nation