Christmas is here again but barely 76 hours to the yearly celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ it’s a tale of anxiety and dashed hopes for most Christians across the country as they gear up for a low-key celebration write BASHIR MOHAMMED, MOHAMMED SHITTU, RAPHAEL ADEYANJU, ABDULRAHEEM AODU, AMAECHI OKWARA, MOHAMMED HABIB and BEN UMUTEME.
World over, the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with lots of funfair and Christians in Nigeria are not left out. However, given the prevailing economic situation in the country it may not be a rosy celebration for many. However, one unifying factor for adherents of the faith remains the fact that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season and by virtue of the fact that they are alive to witness the 2018 Christmas is enough to give thanks to God and celebrate, no matter how low-keyed.
Bleak Christmas in Kano
Blueprint Weekend went into town to feel the pulse of the people as preparations for the 2018 Christmas goes into frenzy and the verdict was that the prevailing economic situation in the country appeared to have adverse effects on Christians who are preparing to celebrate the annual Christmas festivity. Investigation shows that from all indications, the celebration in Kano will be devoid of the usual pomp and pageantry associated with the season.
Motor parks located within Kano metropolis which used to serve as transit points for Christians jetting out of the ancient city for their respective home towns were virtually empty few days to the Christmas, given the inadequacy of passengers at the parks.
Also, investigations by Blueprint Weekend at some of the famous livestock markets in Kano revealed that they are not making much sales compared to previous years.
According to Alhaji Shehu Fanda, a famous ram seller in Kano, he has given up any chance of making brisk business during the festive period due to the harsh economic climate in the country.
He said that his colleagues in other parts of the country are also groaning under similar circumstances with almost no end in sight, positing that the bleak economic situation does not only affects Christian festivities alone but also Muslim celebrations.
“I have been in close contact with my business colleagues in the southern and eastern parts of the country and found out that the situation is almost the same. They are lamenting poor sales and this year’s Christmas celebration makes no difference. I have reduced the number of rams being flown to the South, I mean in Lagos because of the high drop in sales,” he said.
Blueprint Weekend investigations at Sabon-Gari, largely dominated by Igbos, Yorubas and other tribes, showed that residents, who are mostly Christians, have made up their minds to stay back and observe the festivities in Kano contrary to their culture of travelling to their country homes. Most of them blamed financial challenges for the changes in plans.
No dull moment in Jos
In Jos, Plateau state capital the story, however, appears slightly different as a visit to the motor parks showed that commuters, mainly Christians, have started travelling out of the state for the Christmas and New Year festivities. Blueprint Weekend survey showed that in many motor parks the number of travellers out-numbered the available vehicles.
For instance, passengers travelling to states like Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba were seen stranded at the Plateau Riders Park awaiting vehicles to move them to their respective destinations.
One of the commuters, James Bawa, said he and his family members were at the park last Monday but, “Were not lucky to have any bus on ground as we were told that some vehicles had made early morning trips before we arrived but today, we are lucky to have met this vehicle travelling to Maiduguri.”
He said that although there was no fuel scarcity they were surprised that vehicles were scarce and transport fares had been increased. “It used to be N3,000 to travel to Maiduguri but it is now increased to N3,500,” Mr Bawa said.
However, a bus attendant at the park told our correspondent that the scarcity of vehicles was as a result of the increase in the number of people travelling at a time, stressing that there is the tendency of getting more travellers as the day draws closer.
According to him, the increment in fares was mainly as a result of the rush period where some drivers that often ply a particular route are now made to move to other routes and are compelled to slightly adjust the fare.
At the Cross Country and Bonny Ways Transport Services, Blueprint Weekend saw that passengers had being booking for their trips ahead. A passenger, Mr Mike Okoro, said he was at the park to have an early booking to travel to Anambra state with his children. He, however, decried the fact that the transport fare had increased from N4,000 N7,000.
An attendant at Bonny Ways Transport, who preferred to be anonymous said, “We are now charging N10,100 from Jos to Lagos, because it is normal that at festive period like this, transport fare increases because of the number of people that want to travel.
He disclosed further that fares from Lagos to Jos now stands at N12,500 because the travellers coming from Lagos are more than those travelling out of Jos. “In festive period like this, vehicles are not available and price of diesel also increases,” he claimed.
Blueprint Weekend, however, found out that despite the economic hardship, residents of Jos are travelling to their respective states for the festive season.
Ekiti experiences drop in passenger movement
It is, however, a different kettle of fish in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, as commercial transporters in the state capital and its environs are complaining of low patronage.
One of the leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Mr. Dare Dairo, said that the development is unusual. “Around this time every year, many indigenes from neighbouring states like Kogi state, Benue state, and people from eastern part of the country residing, working and doing businesses here would have started travelling home for the Christmas and New Year festivities but that is not the case now. This year is different because business is very dull for us.”
Our correspondent’s investigation further indicated that many people had not made up their mind whether to travel for the festivities of.
A shop owner at Fajuyi Park, Ben Okoye, however, said that one should not be deceived by the initial low patronage, stressing that many people may still travel a day to Christmas. “Some may leave for respective villages in a day very close to Christmas”, he noted.
On the state of the economy, Okoye said he has come to terms with the poor state of things. “Most of us from the South-east are used to this system. If we plan to travel, nothing can stop us, anyway,” he said.
Zaria makes brisk business
As the Christmas and New Year celebrations are around the corner, the current economic hardship experienced by Nigerians appears not to have affected the movement especially of goods and services from the ancient city of Zaria, Kaduna state, to other parts of the country.
A visit to Luxurious Bus Motor Park located at Yankarfe along Zaria-Kaduna in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of the state indicates that many commuters were seeing boarding buses to Lagos, Enugu, Onisha, Nnewi, and Port Harcourt, to enjoy the festivities.
Speaking with Blueprint Weekend, one of the park officials, who goes by the name Mallam Mainasara Shehu said that for the past one week they have witnessed mass movement of passengers to the South and eastern parts of the country.
He pointed out that though people were subjected to difficulties by the economic down-turn, nonetheless, they are striving to make sure that they travel home to celebrate both Christmas and the New Year.
Shehu explained that most of their passengers were middle and low income earners, who have taken long time to save little out of their earnings so as to travel to their various home towns.
Also speaking, a passenger at the park, Mrs Ngozi Nonso, told our correspondent that it took her more than six month to save from her earning in order to travel to her home town, Onitsha, Anambra state so celebrate the festivities with her family.
Also, the situation at Agoro Motor Park was no different as commuters were seen boarding buses to Kaduna en route other parts of the country.
While shedding more light, the Secretary, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Alhaji Nasiru Shafi’I, said that the economic hardship didn’t affect the movement of people from place to place that much, though he noted that because of the economic crisis they hardly load up to 40 buses per day.
… Kaduna goes with backup plans
Blueprint Weekend investigation indicates that many Christians, especially those who usually travel from Kaduna to the southern parts of the country for the yuletide season, may have shelved such plans this year due to the harsh economic situation across the country.
However, others are still weighing the options of not travelling and sending stipend to their family back home. For Mr Samuel Olakanmi Owa, who falls within this category: “It is not certain that I would travel home for this Christmas as I usually do. For now, it is not in my agenda due to the paucity of funds but let’s wait and see if God would perform miracle.
“In previous years, by now I would have been preparing to go home for the Christmas and if I cannot go for Christmas I make sure I spend the New Year with my family in my village. But this year, the economic situation is not palatable. We are all feeling the impact; things are not going well.
“For me, all these challenges are normal because having gone through years of wastage of our resources, we have to undergo this economic crunch for a short time for things to take shape,” he said.
In the same vein, Mr Olusegun Ojo would have loved to be in Lagos for the yuletide season but said he will remain in Kaduna with his family for the festive period to save the amount of money he would have to spend on fuelling his car and taking care of other logistics.
“I would have loved to travel to Lagos for the yuletide season to spend the period with my extended family but the cost alone discouraged me. To fuel my car, I would spend between N25,000 to N40,000. So, I have to apply wisdom. That kind of money can be sent to people at home and they will feel my impact and be happy celebrating the Christmas. Maybe after the rush of the yuletide season, I may travel in the New Year.”
On her part: Mrs Emem Akpan has never missed the Calabar Carnival since inception but there is little hope of being able to make the rendezvous with her people at home this year as she insists that the economic situation is telling critically on her.
According to this secondary school teacher, “I usually go home on December 20 or 21, every year to see my family and celebrate the Christmas with them especially the annual Calabar Carnival but this year, I will not be going because of economic challenges.
“There are children school fees to be paid in January and other expenses, so it’s better for me to remain in Kaduna and enjoy Christmas with my husband and children.
Mixed bag of fortunes in Delta
The mood of the people in Delta state as the Christmas and New Year festivities draws closer is that of expectation and apprehension. Blueprint Weekend checks revealed that with the exception of top government functionaries and political appointees, there is no sign of Christmas celebration in many homes in the state.
Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of the state, Mr Dave Okpogadie, said that traders normally rejoice whenever Christmas draws closer because of the high sales, but said this year’s Christmas is different.
Similarly, a civil servant, Mr Sam Amu, lamented that: “As you can see things yourself, economic situation is terribly bad.”
He said that just days to Christmas, workers at both state and federal level are yet to be paid, stating that, “We can’t go to market to shop for the festivities; even to buy clothes for them has become an impossible task.”
A resident of Asaba, Victor Sorokwu, however, said both the rich and the poor will celebrate the Christmas because there is local rice.
He said that the season will experience buoyancy due to the prevailing revolution in agriculture particularly rice production.
“It is no longer news that Nigeria produces about 90 per cent production of our domestic consumption. As you know, the staple meal during yuletide is rice, Sorokwu said.
FCT is not left out
Investigation by Blueprint Weekend at some markets in Abuja revealed prices of goods have increased, just as sales have been slow. Our correspondent reports that a bag of local rice now sells for N16,000 as compared N13,000 it was sold for in November. Also, a bag of Onion now goes for over N30,000 as against the previous price of N27,000 in September.
The same goes for a basket of tomatoes, which previously sold for N3,300 but now goes for about N8,400 while the price of groundnut oil was also not spared as it increased to N7,000 from less than N5,000.
For Development Economist, Mr Friday Efih, the complaints by Nigerians are not out of place. According to him, with the way the economy is going, it will be difficult for many families to really celebrate Christmas the way they want.
“When businesses are not getting jobs, it means there will be no money for people to spend,” Efih said.
NBS also confirms bleak Christmas
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report which indicated that unemployment status of the country was at an alarming rate may have also confirmed that this year’s Christmas would be low-keyed for many.
According to the latest report by the Bureau, the nation’s unemployment rate has increased from 18.8 percent in the third quarter of 2017 to an alarming 23.1 per cent correspondingly in 2018. It stated that, “The increasing unemployment and declining underemployment rate imply that the fragile economic recovery is beginning to create employment.”
However, hours worked within these jobs are not yet enough for full time employment. While this is ongoing, the inflow of entrants into the labour market continues to grow steadily, minimising the effect of any jobs created within the economy on the overall unemployment rate.”
According to the NBS, the rise in the index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, milk, cheese and egg, fish, vegetables, fruits, oil and fats, potatoes, yam and other tubers.
On month-to-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 0.90 per cent in November 2018, up by 0.08 percent points from 0.82 per cent recorded in October 2018.
The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending November 2018 over the previous twelve-month average was 14.80 percent, 0.56 percent points lower from the average annual rate of change recorded in October (15.36) percent.
As Christians countdown to December 25, with expectation and anxiety, the common denominator remains that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.
