Curbing The Brutalities of Nigerian

Evil if not checked, eventually becomes a tradition and the norm. The same goes for the ever-increasing wickedness perpetrated on Nigerians who wish to travel abroad for greener pastures by the numerous so-called Nigerian travel/foreign-school agents scattered all over the country and even beyond. Apart from the few whose parents/guardians sponsor for studies in different colleges in the developed countries, most Nigerians traveling abroad do so solely as the best way to counter the ever-encroaching hardship rocking the boat of their lives and their families’ as a result of the satanic governance that has gone on for decades in our country.

Most Nigerians born in the country grew up with this business mentality that, in order to gain more, one has to invest the less he has. Some of the early people who traveled overseas from Nigeria got caught up with the obvious disparities between the “two worlds” and most of them never made it back home as expected. But as the story of Nigeria kept becoming less interesting, men got wiser and made their overseas migration clear: to make money, come home and help the family. This becomes the best patriotic act a fair Nigerian can hope to offer while the leadership keeps at refusing to lead. Most foreign countries got wiser too and their borders got tighter for Nigerians, refusing the majority entry unless they are coming in to spend the little they have - to study.

This immigration law of accepting almost only those Nigerians coming in for study by different countries has its numerous ills, but has also helped in bringing back to school most Nigerians that wouldn’t mind avoiding education entirely as long as they make the money. This law gave birth to the worst kind of corruption in Nigeria, released the worst kind of attack on Nigeria and spread the worst kind of disease on Nigerians. This law gave birth to rogue school agents who will stop at nothing in defrauding people of their life-earned money. Taking the advantage that most countries would readily take Nigerians in as long as they are coming for education, these “agents” cash in on the determination of the Nigerian youths to avoid turning to violence at home by traveling abroad for any job that could help them and their families back home since there are actually rooms for foreign students to work part-time in some of these countries. ( Continues below….. )

These agents are responsible for getting, most of the time, passport for the would-be travelers, the route and/or the country to travel to, the ticket, and even how to pack one’s luggage-removing the essentials for their self-use. Deliberately intending to squeeze all the money they can out from these travelers, these agents, most times, buy return tickets for people going for studies and sell the return ticket once they know that the said travelers have got to their destination, acquire visas for these travelers from countries never heard of and never intended, promising them of a place to stay and a good job to help with school. And so, most Nigerian youths going abroad collaborate with their families, even to the extended, to get all the fund needed, believing that it’s an investment with a life-long returns.

Ninety-nine percent of these youths meet with an entirely opposite situation as assured by their agents. Most of the so-called negative stories about Nigerians abroad are the fruits of these agents. One thing worthy of note here also is that some of these foreign schools are in collaboration with these agents in this wickedness because they have turned deaf ear to numerous complaints coming to the international students office desk regularly by some of the affected people. ( Continues below….. )

Photo Above: Nigerian Naira Notes

The result of this agents’ evil quest for money is immeasurable but I will list few implications of these to include:

1. The near-sureness of most of these Nigerians abroad turning into anything to make ends meet, no matter how bad it tells on the individuals or the nation.

2. Mass extinct of future leaders.

3. Broken marriages, homes and trusts.

4. Some youths who find themselves in this mess end up becoming agents in order to avenge and make some money. Some even use their family members as scapegoats.

5. Disappointments and heartbreaks.

6. Induced lawbreakers.

7. Uncertainty of the future of the Nigerian youths as a result of misdirected destinies.

Unless and until this evil by some Nigerians who call themselves agents with the collaboration of some of these foreign schools is checked, Nigeria will be left with a big gap in the heart in the near future. There are a few measures to correct this, but the government of Nigeria and other countries involved in taking Nigerian student should and must be fully committed towards checking these ills. Few of these measures include:

1. Proper registering of school/travel agencies in Nigeria and making sure they follow the policy.

2. Setting up a unit (if possible) at different embassies that will work as guidance with the intention of finding out what the would-be traveler knows about his trip and his expectations. If this unit has been in existence, it’s dormant.

3. Setting up a body that every would-be traveler would pass through to ensure that proper information has been passed by their agents and understood by the traveler before embarking on the journey.

4. Creating a body and its website where the affected individuals can lodge their complaints and expect investigations to follow through.

5. The speedy spreading of Internet connectivity all over Nigeria, and the affordability. This will help everyone intending to travel with all the needed informations.

These measures are inevitable if the overall fight against corruption in Nigeria is to bear much fruits. A good leader sees the future in the eyes of the youths, and in order to counter this madness and save the future, this present administration should address this matter with a high level of urgency and importance.