The head of Department of internal Audit in Edo has reportedly japa from Nigeria to Canada, amid economic hardship, raising concern about the challenge of brain drain in Nigeria.
‘Japa’ is loosely translates to “run away” or “escape. The syndrome found its way into Nigerian colloquial expression, which is used to convey the idea of swift and evasive action in Yoruba language.
52-year-old man (name withheld), relocated for further study abroad along with his Children wife who is has secured a job in Canada.
A worker in the State Civil Service told TheNewspad that the decision by the senior staff to quit despite his over N800,000 monthly salary, including other benefits, to travelled abroad, was due to the economic hardship.
The government source said, “Our Country is in ruin. This man who also has Master’s Degree in Accounting, and other Degrees, has gone to Canada for study. He is one of the brains in Obaseki’s government.
“He worked in internal Audit Department. If at 52, his monthly salary of over N800,000, yet, he is still not enough for him, what becomes the fate of helpless Nigerians.
“This is what some of you will consider as a paying job. Nigeria is not working for Nigerians”, the Civil Servant said.
TheNewspad could not immediately verify if the Head of Audit Department was granted a study leave of absence of resigned from the Service prior to his trip.
Meanwhile, the federal government had directed that health workers who plan to relocate abroad for greener pastures must henceforth resign their appointment beforehand.
Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa who disclosed this on Saturday during his visit to The Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Aro, Abeokuta, declared that the era of health workers exiting to other Countries of the world in search of better offers after applying for their leave of absence is no longer acceptable.
According to Alausa, “The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement.
“However, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the presidential executive order which has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned health facilities to implement.
“The The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name still appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is still being considered as a staff whereas he has left the Country’, he said.
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