By Maurice Okeke
The former Nigerian High Commissioner to India, Maj-Gen. Chris. S. Eze (rtd.) has stated that mass migration of Nigerians is a huge challenge that has come to stay, unless a new mindset is created among Nigerians.
Eze noted that the situation should be of great worry to the government and deliberate efforts should be put in place to stem it.
Delivering a paper titled, “National Challenges and Mass Migration: Reversing the Trend” as a guest lecturer at the 8th Rev. (Engr.) Ette. I. Ette Annual Lecture Series at the National Engineering Centre, Abuja on Saturday, Gen. Eze said that even though the government does not appear to take the matter seriously, it remains a huge challenge.
According to Gen. Eze, while the remittances back home is enticing to the government, it remains a problem because the bulk of the migrants are skilled youths on whom the future of our country rests and who have enormous contributions to make to the development of the country.
In addition, he noted that the humiliation most of them go through remain undeserving of a people so blessed with natural and human resources, adding that “many of our migrants also suffer degrading and racist treatments by their hosts abroad.”
The former Nigeria High Commissioner identified some variables responsible for this mass migration to include “our serious economic situation, a loss of faith in our country, especially in its election processes, security threats to persons and their property, the relative ineffectiveness of our police force and its habit of brutalizing and extorting people”.
He regretted that even though Nigeria has an elaborate migration policy because it lacks the accurate statistics needed for effective planning, it cannot be relied upon to achieve much.
The General who offered a way of stemming the challenge noted that, “the solution to our mass migration problem requires a wholesale remaking of Nigeria and a change of our mindset, which is very difficult to achieve because it involves tackling corruption, revamping our dilapidated infrastructure, and educational system, amending our electoral law and constitution if necessary”.
He suggested the amendment of the Electoral Law along the lines already suggested by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to enhance the chances of free and fair elections without which our government cannot be held to account, adding that the judiciary should take serious steps to redeem its battered image and restore eroded confidence.
The High Commissioner also has some words of advice for our young ones and corporate leaders, saying: “our professionals should try to jettison the one-man business culture which Nigerians are known for and pool their resources to build conglomerates that can compete with foreign-owned firms for business, at least in this country”
He further admonished governments at all levels to encourage such consolidation by patronizing local professionals who muster the will to engage in it but not at the expense of quality delivery.
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