Reps reject motion to declare ‘japa’ national emergency

The House of Representatives has rejected a motion seeking to stop ‘japa’, a trend that sees (young) Nigerians leaving the country in their numbers for the United States, Europe and other countries around the world in search of greener pastures.

The motion sponsored by Philip Agbese (APC-Benue), who used to live in the UK, was presented at plenary on Thursday.

Presenting the motion, the lawmaker said the situation is taking away young, productive Nigerians abroad and should be declared as a national emergency.

The lawmaker lamented that the growing statistics of young Nigerians leaving the country and securing permanent residence in the UK, the USA, and Canada is a grave challenge for the country as it affects its economic, intellectual and social wellbeing.

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According to him, available statistics have shown that, there was a 40 per cent increase in the number of young Nigerians leaving the nation compared to what the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) captured and reported in 2019.

Agbese said the UN DESA reported that international emigration from Nigeria in 2020 totalled 1.7 million, which was a substantial increase from 990,000 in 2010.

However, after his presentation and contributions against and for the motion by Sada Soli Jibia (APC,Jibia) and Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno) respectively, the Speaker Tajuddeen Abbas, put the motion to voice vote.

But, the majority of the members voted nay and the motion was stepped down.