People are not people. This is the new slang in town. If you haven’t caught the fever yet, then welcome. The days when people stayed longer in difficult situations is finally fading away. Millennials are known to quickly lose interest in things which no longer serve them. And I am here wondering what could be the cause. It certainly has to do with their upbringing while growing up and the new media. People want the soft life.

Gone are the days where people had to travel miles before visiting a recreational facility. Now every corner in Accra has a new spot where people can unwind and have fun. The internet is also introducing people to new places, things and people which is giving the youth more taste for the “good life”.

There is another slang in town called “Japa”. Well, not so new but should be new to a lot of my readers. Yes I know you haven’t heard it, so kindly accept that I have thought you something new. Just kidding.

The term simply means to travel. The youth simply say that to mean they want to move out of the country. If someone says, “I want to Japa”, it simply means they want to travel abroad. I myself heard of the term not so long ago so I guess we are in this together.

Now my main concern is that if everyone is willing to Japa, who will be left in the country. However, I also understand that it is not the fault of the youth to want to move out of the country. Most of them complain that the standard of living is becoming higher by the day. Also, lesser opportunities for the youth to grow and thrive in businesses and careers is actually pushing a lot of them to travel for greener pastures.

The sad thing is that most of these young people who are desperate to move end up using the wrong channels which gets them in trouble in the long run. So for me, it’s not just about wanting to leave but planning and preparing to go through the right channels. Some will not even find their feet when they land but the pressure of coming back to be called Chairman and Madam is their top priority at the moment.

After all, those who travel abroad and come back are more revered than those of us who are down here in the heat and wahala. As for me I pray all your Japa dreams come true. That way, my diaspora friends can increase. I also like my Ahasporas who have gone and come back to stay with us for good. Then there are some of us patriotic citizens who will stay through thick and thin, and yet deep down we know if the ship comes to the coast one more time, we will be the first to board.