‘Japa Phenomenon’: Amosun Backtracks, Denies Calling UK, US, Canada, Others ‘Wicked’

A former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has stated that his recent interview, where he said foreign countries granting Nigerians visas are wicked, was deliberately misrepresented.

Recall that Amosun had in an interview with BBC on Saturday reportedly described foreign countries as “wicked” for encouraging the emigration of Nigerian youths in large numbers.

According to the former Governor, countries giving visas to Nigerian accountants, lawyers, and medical practitioners do not consider the effect on Nigeria.

He said, “I have heard about it, and the reports are scary. All our youths and young talents are traveling out of Nigeria, seeking greener pastures, and the prospective countries are deliberately giving them visas to leave the country without putting the origin country into consideration.

“What scares me most in all this is the proliferation of emigration. Foreigners will not fix our nation for us if all our citizens should leave the country. I am seeing the countries granting visas to our youths as wicked because they are not considering the origin nation from which their prospective labour force are coming from.

“If you ask our people leaving the nation for greener pastures, they will tell you that they are not planning to return to Nigeria.”

In a statement signed by his media aide, Bola Adeyemi, on Sunday, the lawmaker representing Ogun Central said the choice of the word “wicked” was the reporter’s and not his.

The statement read in part, “Some media reports, including the online portals, had claimed Amosun, in his BBC interview, condemned western nations for encouraging the emigration of Nigerians in large numbers, by granting visas to young citizens, a development he was misquoted as saying was ‘wicked.’

“The Ogun Central Senator, therefore, contended that his major concern was core professionals like medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, and accountants, who were leaving the country in droves with their families because such could open the country to greater challenges.

“Although the former governor described the countries encouraging such exodus without considering the fate of Nigeria as unfair, the choice of the word ‘wicked’ was purely the reporter’s and not his.

“Thus, while commenting on the ‘japa phenomenon,’ Amosun reiterated what he said, ‘I have heard about it and the reports are scary. All youths and young talents are traveling out of Nigeria, seeking greener pastures and the prospective countries are deliberately giving them visas to leave the country without putting the origin country into consideration.’

“Amosun further contended that, what made the reports inaccurate and a deliberate damage, was the fact that he too had been sponsoring young people, who desired to further their studies abroad and has not ceased to write to different embassies in support of their applications, because he believed in their decisions to study abroad to further equip them.”