Recently, a friend reached out to me for pieces of advice on ‘Japa’ to an Arab country: Bahrain. He wanted me to offer him pieces of advice and connect him with an agent who is into the business. He was going there for work.


After minutes of listening to him, I told him, “ You’re earning a moderate daily income from your transport business; you’re with your family, why go to an unknown land risking your life and that of your family at home?” He replied: “You know, traveling is part of education. I believe that by working there for a few years, I would be able to save enough money, and who knows, I can go to Europe from there”, he stylishly said while observing my physiognomy.

I understood what gave birth to such lines of reasoning. One of his friends did something similar a few years ago. The guy first went to Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the Federation of United Arab Emirates before he traveled to the UK. He had told me about the guy at the beginning of our conversation. I wasn’t convinced. Why would you use another person’s journal to tell your own story?

Unless it is born out of necessity, traveling isn’t as juicy as you are made to believe by mere pictures you see on social networking. Living with your wife and kids can never be quantified with material accumulation. I am for traveling if the right opportunity comes, but traveling without thorough evaluations might be a dangerous adventure to begin with.

What fascinated me about my conversations with him was his honest answers to my questions about his decision to go to an Arab country. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and other Arab countries have been accused of human rights abuse. Unlike in Europe, there is minimal freedom for workers. But most of the people who go there to work were ignorant of reality until sunset at dawn.

I asked him about his daily income from the transport business, and he said he saves at least twenty thousand naira (N20,000) in a week after performing his financial obligations at home. That is N80,000 in a month after performing his family obligations. In a country like Nigeria, few people can boast of saving eighty thousand naira in a month. He doesn’t know that he’s earning much more than many people he sees and admires online. If you’re earning a moderate income, why go to an unknown land to start afresh?

Social media has made us live in a metaverse pall of lies. A man who has thousands of naira in his bank account is envious of his friend or a stranger whose only savings are clothes for the show of. The ones who would have loved to be living your lifestyle is the one you’re dying to be like.

To my surprise, I asked him if he knew how much his monthly take-home would be in his aspired abode. He said he knew. That got me worried! The reason is that simple arithmetic — pardon me, simple nursery math — is enough to discourage him from such a sojourn. By comparison, he’ll be earning handsomely better in his transport business with the freedom to do and undo than working in that country he’s going. I can’t monetarily quantify his closeness to his family.

He was adamant and I was flexible in my pieces of advice. While I did persuade him from embarking on the journey, I offered my moral and other support to him if he wished to go as it seemed he had made up his mind.

Japaing is good!

But Bahrain get as e be...

Russia dey ok

At the end, e go reach everybody. Its turn by turn.

All these Arabic countries is no no for me

[quote author=Lasbaba

Bahrain, Oman — no jobs, I repeat no jobs.!
Tell your friend to abort mission. 20k savings here is not bad. Better to find lead to a better country .. not Bahrain

I visit that region quite often. Boys who were lured to these places end up in HK or sleeping rough in construction site.. no job. Not even dishwashing job. There are many pakis, banglas, Syrians, afghans..recently, Sudanese (victims of Sunday’s civil war) seeking jobs.

I repeat.. abort mission

Please tell him to abort mission...

Most Asian and Middle Eastern countries are no go area.

A friend who traveled to Oman in December to work, just returned this month frustrated.

kenevision:
Please tell him to abort mission...

Most Asian and Middle Eastern countries are no go area.

A friend who traveled to Oman in December to work, just returned this month frustrated.

That's because he didn't do his research, I have over 10 friends in Kuwait, And Qatar who are doing construction and other related stuffs
I won't say its easy but it's better that the life, They are into in Naija
So if you use agent , never ever trust him 100℅ even if him be your uncle
Most people are scam,
That once they reach , there is job, I assure you its a lie
So if an agent can't guarantee job that you can confirm its authenticity never give a dime to him

Kuwait and Qatar are great
My friends are earning around 1,000 to 1200 per month in dinar
Dinar is about 2000+ in naira

So if you don't have a guarantee job there.
No carry your leg enter that side.
Because you no go get job easily but if you get am

You go flex

kenevision:
Please tell him to abort mission...

Most Asian and Middle Eastern countries are no go area.

A friend who traveled to Oman in December to work, just returned this month frustrated.

Oman is a “no go” zone. Not a good place to hustle at all.. I met a couple of them boys sleeping rough at a construction site; living on a pack of 0.6Rial bread and coffee. The weather is absolutely horrible.. very hot I mean HOT! I think one of them had a job at a pure water factory in Nigeria before he made the move to Oman. He regretted that decision.

Instead of running away when are we gonna fight our internal and external demons? Why are we cowards? Its obvious those two demons jehovah and allah are our greatest problems.

Hmmmm

Even development doesn't stop migration of people. That is why Nigeria is never even part of the top three migrant countries in the world.

Ohraykon:
Instead of running away when are we gonna fight our internal and external demons? Why are we cowards? Its obvious those two demons jehovah and allah are our greatest problems.

Lasbaba:
Even development doesn't stop migration of people. That is why Nigeria is never even part of the top three migrant countries in the world.

if those places are not good will you travel there? Why are you taking me back