BY GODWIN OBI
CHRISTMAS and New Year celebrations are two festivals that the Igbo of South-East region do not joke with. They look forward to this period with excitement.
They see it as a period to return to their homes to relax, meet with their kits and kin at home. It is also a period when they usually fix various activities, including development initiatives for the good of their communities. Above all, the period serves them as holiday period, time to rest after vigorous one year struggle in various fields of endeavour.
But the high level of insecurity that has bedeviled the zone; bad state of the economy and hyper inflation in the country, will not allow them enjoy all that this time around as it has been woes all round.
We are not travelling home this season— Anambra residents
In Anambra State for example, residents of Awka, the state capital, who spoke to South-East Voice said they have shelved any travelling plans. Mr. Okechukwu Nwadike, a civil servant in Awka said this year will be the first time he will not be celebrating Christmas in his home town, Ogbunike, since he became an adult.
“I usually take my family to the village on the 23rd of December every year and we remain there till the second week of January. It is the only period my children enjoy the rural life and they always look forward to it.
“However, this year is different because of the insecurity in all parts of Igbo land. It will amount to taking unnecessary risk to expose my children to a situation where they won’t mix freely with other children in the village. I have already informed my relatives that we are not coming home and they understand, as they too will not be returning to the village.
“Thank God for technology as we have decided to conduct our family meeting on our WhatsApp platform. We are also making contributions to support the less privileged in our village as we do every year through mobile banking donations,” Nwadike explained.
A university lecturer, Dr. Jones Dike said he is not planning anything special for the Christmas because the resources are not available. While thanking God for making it possible to celebrate another Christmas, he said the entire family is yet to recover from the effects of the eight months strike by ASUU which, he added, impoverished him.
“I parked my car during the strike because I could no longer maintain it and although work has resumed, I am yet to put the car on the road as there is no money to do so. Therefore, I cannot be talking of travelling for Christmas in my present situation. My daughter who is an undergraduate is yet to pay her school fees because I cannot afford it for now.
“My happiness is that everybody in the house understands the situation we are in. This is the first Christmas I have not joined the frenzy of contributing to buy cow, but I do not mind because that is what the country has reduced us to.”
A tricycle operator in Awka, Mr. Christian Nwatu said with a bag of local rice at N36,000 and a litre of fuel at N260, he is not planning to travel this year. Nwatu said: “I usually travel from Anambra State to my state, Ebonyi, every Christmas with at least a bag of rice and other things. This year is totally different because apart from the heavy tax Governor Soludo has imposed on us, the cost of fuel to drive my Keke to Ebonyi will be too much. Besides, with all the news about kidnappings and unknown gunmen everywhere, it is better I remain where I am, hoping that things will be better in future.”
Hell may not be worse than Nigeria— Abia residents
Abia residents are lamenting the biting economic hardship in the land with many ruling out any plan to travel to the village for Christmas and New Year holidays.
Mrs. Chinenye Okeke is a fashion designer from Anambra State but based in Umuahia. The mother of three lamented that “things are very hard this time,” saying the possibility of her travelling home for Christmas holiday is still “50-50.
“We are just surviving by God’s grace. The cost of things has tripled. Last year we were crying that things were hard, now it is hellish. In fact, I don’t know if hell will be worse than living in Nigeria. Do you talk of money for food or how to even cook the little one you see? Before, charcoal was cheap but now, both charcoal and kerosene are not affordable. What about gas? I haven’t seen this type of hardship in my entire life. Only God can help us. Next week is Christmas and I have not bought anything for my children unlike before. My travelling home is dependent on the availability of funds,” she lamented and appealed to government to spare no efforts in coming to the aid of parents to cushion the effects of the excruciating hardship in the land.
Mrs. Okeke suggested that government should waive the next term school fees in all public schools and give subsidy to those in private schools as a way to empathize with parents and guardians.
Another fashion designer, Mrs. Christiana Ibeabuchi, also expressed frustration over the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
“Even customers bringing clothes to be sewn for them are not willing to pay because there is no money anywhere. They are only willing to pay about 70% of the real charge and we have no choice but to accept the much they can offer because they are our customers and this hardship is everywhere.”
A business centre operator on Awolowo Street by Niger Road, Umuahia, Chimdi Ejirika, said he had already made some adjustments in his budget for Christmas.
“Last year, I bought a bag of rice for N28,000 but now, it sells for close to N50,000. I have a baby of one year and six months and the dress I bought for her for N2,500 last year now sells for N9,000. If you travel to the village, you will see some old women and family members you must assist and if you fail to give them something, they might label you a stingy person. So, what do you do?
“That is why I have decided not to travel this time. Maybe by January, I will travel; things are really hard in the country but for me as a Christian, Christmas is not all about spending; it is a time for sober reflection to know if the Saviour has been born in my life. I am being careful.”
Residents also lament the rising cost of foodstuff like rice, beans, garri, tomato, vegetables and other essential ingredients in the market. A visit to major markets and motor parks in Aba and Umuahia revealed that the markets and motor parks are witnessing low activities unlike previous years. Prices of foodstuff have skyrocketed beyond the reach of consumers while cost of transportation has increased by over 50% for inter and intra city routes.
A lecturer at the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, who pleaded anonymity, said he can no longer afford the cost of taking his family of five to his community in Ohafia Council Area on account of the rising cost of foodstuff and transportation.
“I can’t afford to take my family home for the Christmas and New Year celebrations because of the cost of foodstuff and transportation to Ohafia town and finally to my village and back to Aba. It is better we stay in Aba to celebrate. To visit my village for the celebration, I have to buy foodstuff. Prices of rice, beans, yam, spaghetti and other items are clearly out of the reach of the ordinary man. The cost of transport is getting higher and you must buy clothes for the children and gifts for people in the village. I can no longer afford to charter a vehicle as I used to do in the past. In January 2023, the children will be returning to school to continue with their studies. So, you can see that I need nothing less than N500,000, if I should take my family to the village for the Christmas and New year celebrations.”
In Enugu, a resident, James Jonah expressed worry over the cost of things and insecurity in the state. Jonah, a businessman at the Ogbete market, said prices of items are beyond the reach of many. Besides, the exorbitant cost of items, the level of insecurity in the land is scaring people from travelling home for the celebrations.
“The South-East region is not what it used to be because of insecurity. Criminal elements have taken over our communities, kidnapping and killing, and government is not doing anything serious to rescue the situation. My brother who resides in the USA planned to come back home to celebrate Christmas with us this year but due to the security situation, we advised him to shelve it. We are not going to the village. Our area, Igbo-Eze North is no go area now.
“As a businessman, I was not able to buy the usual Christmas clothes for my children because of the economic hardship. I have explained to them that we are going to have low celebration. I felt bad when I went to buy rice but couldn’t afford to buy 50kg of local rice. I could not imagine that the cost of 50kg of local rice is N38,000. We started having this hardship and inflation problem since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over as president.
“Nigeria is doomed if we fail to vote in the right person that will bring this country out of this hardship. We never had it this bad in this country”, he lamented.
In Imo State, the residents who have been under the siege of criminal elements, are not eager to travel, especially to the hinter lands, some of which have been deserted by their people.
According to a resident of Owerri, Onyekachi Iwu: “We are afraid; we thought the insecurity was over. We were planning to come back for this year’s Christmas until this Simon Ekpa started this rubbish of attacks in the name of sit-at-home order. You saw how the entire Igbo land went up in flame. It was like a war zone. What we thought was over returned with several destructions and killings.”
Abraham, from Orsu Local Government Area of the state, said: “The fear is much. We are in deep fear. Something must be done to bring back the people’s confidence.”
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