Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said many Nigerians who relocated to the United Kingdom are living under tough conditions despite earning higher salaries, arguing that people earning just ₦60,000 in Nigeria are better off.
Bwala made the remarks while speaking on the Morayo Afolabi Brown Show aired on Wednesday. According to him, many Nigerians in the UK earn between £2,600 and £2,800 every month, but almost all the money goes into rent, taxes, utility bills and other living expenses.
Summing up his position, Bwala said: “People in Nigeria are doing better than those who japa’d. Many of them are working as slaves in UK. They earn about £2,800 monthly and pay £2,450 back in tax and utility. If you earn ₦60k in Nigeria, you’re better than them.”
He said, “When they go there and do a job, on average they earn about £2,600 or £2,800 a month.
“2,450 goes off. You pay power, internet, TV, rent. When you put them together, rent alone is about 800.
“Even if you are living in the outskirts of London. You get, you put all of them together, then you talk about feeding and the rest.
“At the end of the day, what you are left with is not much. So you are forced to do two, three jobs. That’s why recently you are seeing in London, they say somebody died by the roadside. There are conditions like that.”
Bwala also said many Nigerians with first-class degrees, master’s degrees and even PhDs move to the UK only to end up working in care homes and warehouses.
“Let me adjust my seat because I want to tell you today, some of you in Nigeria who think you are suffering, you’re better off than your colleagues that japa five years ago
“I am a resident of the United Kingdom. A Nigerian that finished with first class or second class, now moves to the UK and then adds another degree. You know the majority of them where they are working? Care homes.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s modern-day slavery. What they call it where I come from,it’s called ‘mereno’ it’s less than a house girl’s job because there are certain things a house girl cannot do, but the type of jobs they get there is less demanding than that of a house girl, even as a master’s degree holder,” he said.
Bwala said the Tinubu administration has introduced measures to reduce pressure on Nigerians, including a 50 per cent subsidy on dialysis in federal hospitals and free Caesarean section services. He added that expanding the support to private hospitals and more prescription drugs depends on the government’s available resources.
Bwala’s remarks have drawn reactions from Nigerians on social media. HEDLYNE gathered some of the reactions below:
@ERUDI7E @WONCI6
“He said tax will takes 2450.. Haba now, I believe he wants to say your expenditure for the month and this is for those who are on hustling mood and they still even earn way more than some Director in some govt agencies. Thank God most Nigeriana are expose”
@AntiTinubu
“At this point I can say, Daniel is always high on something I don’t know.”
@alexiataylor248
“Dey play. So how come dem dey buy houses and big cars for Nigeria here? Eeehn I wan dey do the slave make I dey earn money and use am pay taxes too abeg.”
