…Residents recount experiences
By Cosmas Omegoh, Dan Kanu and Olakunle Olafioye
Intermittently, staccato reports echoed in the neigbourhood, evidencing that either an excited kid or a young-at-heart adult was reliving his or her youth by shooting firecrackers.
Adult firecrackers always sounded differently, their features different too. They went high above before cracking, spreading particles in the skies, which form myriads of bright, beautiful and colourful lights and patterns that produce a spectacle delightful to watch.
In some instances, music would be heard blaring from homes of some privileged ones who had generating sets to power their musical sets.
All these were part of how some people in Lagos celebrated Christmas amid the challenges that starred them in the face.
In most communities in the city, the air was sombre and sobering with the harmattan weather threatening. Many people did the much they could do to sustain their joy and sanity. Each of what they did was an undeniable proof that the Yuletide is a season well worth its worth in gold, and also served as a poignant reminder that the last season was different from the rest they once celebrated and enjoyed.
Christmas in the past used to be characterised by various scenes that gave the season a life of its own. Kids, for instance, would be seen in their numbers rocking their new clothes, and making their way to sight-seeing venues or heading out to their relatives, desiring to savour Christmas meals that tasted like no other.
Some would be running unending errands for their parents, bearing big plates of Christmas food and gifts meant for their neighbours. Some adult males would be seen gathered in the open around low tables with assorted bottles of drinks. Such scenes this season seemed to be absent in most places because the people could not replicate them.
In some areas visited, people went about their daily hustles. What mattered most to them was what to eat.
Some days to Christmas, there were indications that the celebrations in the city might be low-key. Our correspondent’s investigation revealed that popular songs that herald the season were seldom heard blaring.
Even companies and persons who used to decorate their homes and offices could not do so. Vendors who used to assemble countless numbers of hampers for sell could not do so for fear that the buyers might not be forthcoming. Companies and individuals used to order such hampers for distribution to their customers and friends.
But in this outgoing year, very little of that was seen. Private and corporate individuals were reeling and could not afford some of their pastimes of yesteryears.
At the highbrow Mafoluku area, shops and offices observed, maintained low profile.
In the heart of Ikeja, only a newly-opened phones shop near under-the-bridge roundabout was the only one playing Christmas songs days before the season.
Even traders that used to display items for clearance sales were missing.
However, the popular Oshodi market was in full swing, including the shopping complex near the area christened Arena. Buyers and sellers thronged the facilities to transact business ahead of the Yuletide.
Our correspondent gathered that the popular markets on the Lagos Island equally witnessed huge turnout of traders and customers.
As usual, the attendant traffic bottlenecks that characterise the period mounted.
However, when our correspondent ventured out on Christmas Day to feel the pulse of the city, some people spoken to were only eager to get their daily bread and cared little about the celebration.
At Gate market in Ejigbo area of the city, Christmas Day was like any other in the year.
People were out there conducting fast businesses. Residents were buying especially their daily needs – food. Some market women were busy roasting corn and plantain. The traders were taking the advantage the season offered. They sold a live chicken for N25,000, a turkey for N100,000, an orange for N200; about four pieces of carrot sold for N500; an average size cucumber went for N500. Prices of various food items were simply out of this world.
“Christmas is for the children,” a woman who identified herself as Mama Joy, told our correspondent.
“Shebi you have to have money before you talk about celebrating Christmas? If you don’t have any money to celebrate with, what would you do – you go and steal or you celebrate with nothing?”
The woman, who was with her daughter, Joy, on the occasion selling carrots, was sad that the current economic challenges in the country were threatening to suck life out of her life.
“About this time in the past years, we were at home resting. But today, here we are. We cannot do any of that now because of where we found ourselves. So, we just have to survive,” she emphasised with a strong sense of optimism.
Our correspondent noted that some eateries around Jakande Gate witnessed good turnout of customers. The areas were bursting at the seams with mothers and their kids who came out to have fun, some at the recreational facility the eateries provided.
“Coming here is better than staying at home without electricity.
“At least, after our stay here, the children will get the feeling that they were out having fun,” a woman said.
Our correspondent was told that at a popular eatery in the heart of Ikeja, there was massive turnout of people too.
In fact, it was reported that some customers were even queuing to buy food and ice cream.
Customers who bought takeaway portions with a little chicken part in it, for instance, paid as much as N4,000.
The season in Ijaye
This year’s Christmas celebration for some residents of Ogba Ijaiye may have left them with the nostalgia of fond memories of past colourful celebrations.
Many of them claimed the unfriendly economic condition in the country robbed them of the thrill and fun they experienced during the period in the past.
Our correspondent’s earlier investigation revealed skyrocketing prices of goods and services, including food items. The building high cost of transportation combined with the dearth of funds to deny many Christian families the joy of marking this year’s occasion the way they would have loved to. Some families that often travelled to celebrate the occasion with their loved ones in other parts of the country said they could not do so due to exorbitant fares.
For the second consecutive time, Mrs Folashade Ogundimu said her family missed the opportunity of reunion with other members of her extended family as her family could not afford their travelling expenses.
The mother of five said she weighed her options and resolved to observe the occasion in Lagos with the same set of people they live with and missed out on the excitement of reuniting with the extended family members.
“My family love travelling home for the Christmas and the New Year celebrations because it often affords us the privilege of reuniting with other members of the extended family who we have not seen in a long while. But we couldn’t make the trip last year due to the high cost of transportation. This year’s Christmas makes it the second time in a roll that my family would be celebrating in Lagos,” she said.
Although the Ogundimus may have missed out on the excitement of sharing the joy of the season with extended family members by their inability to travel, the family said it made up for that by giving themselves, ‘special Christmas treats’ which some families claimed they could not afford as major food items.
Findings by Sunday Sun showed that most families ditched the usual Christmas chicken for other protein sources such as fish and meat as prices of chicken rose astronomically and beyond the reach of many people.
It was noted that prices of chicken ranged between N20 ,000 to N40,000 depending on their sizes and breed.
For example, the price of an average sized old layer chicken ranged between N18,000 and N22,000, while full grown cockerels sold between N25, 000 and N30, 000. Broilers sold for between N30,000 and N40,000 just as turkeys sold for between N60,000 and N100,000 depending on their sizes.
Mrs Beatrice Ogah, a house wife, said she opted for meat, fish and frozen chicken instead of buying life chicken which she noted was too expensive.
“I bought two kilogrammes of meat at N5,800 each, one kilogramme of fish for N5,000 and two kilograms of chicken laps for N4,300 each totaling N25,200. Everything was far more than two chickens which would have cost me over N60, 000. I know there will always be time to eat chicken,” she said.
Christmas in Ikorodu
Our correspondent gathered that Christmas in Ikorodu, Lagos State, was low-key, although the residents celebrated with enthusiasm.
The residents marked the occasion with various events and activities, including church services, parties, and community gatherings.
At one of the popular joints in the area, the youths organised Christmas Eve party featuring music, dance, and other forms of entertainment.
In churches, special services to commemorate the day were held with prayer and thanksgiving.
Some families used the occasion to reunite with their loved ones, sharing the little meals they could afford and exchanging the gifts they could provide.
Some residents who spoke with Sunday Sun lamented the hunger and hardship that seemed to have seized the land by the jugular.
A woman who identified herself as Mama Bose said: “I have not had it this bad. The hunger is biting; there seems to be little hope for the future. There is little or nothing to celebrate with.”
Mama Bose’s words were corroborated by Mr Ezekiel Ubani’s.
He said: “We have never witnessed this sort of hardship before; the irony of it all is that this government is still claiming that it has done well. It is sad.”
Isheri-Oshun residents lament power cut
In Isheri-Oshun, also a part of Lagos, Christmas was also like every other day in the year.
The residents went about their normal businesses. Some stayed at home.
The hurting aspect of it all was that Ikeja electricity company which supplies power to the area denied the residents power supply.
Our correspondent gathered that two days to Christmas and two days after, the residents had no power to celebrate.
“It is five straight days today December 27 that we have not had power supply, Michael Olufemi told our correspondent.
“We don’t know what we in this part of the city did to Ikeja Disco.
“We don’t have money to celebrate, yet we don’t have power supply to even listen to music or watch the television.
“The subscription I made with Gotv just to enjoy the season is just wasting because we have no power supply.
“This place is just like a rural area; that is why there is no activity. Our joy is just little because there is no power supply. We are no longer talking about the bare fact that there is no money to celebrate. We are lamenting that shortly after now, Ikeja Disco will slam us with estimated bills.”
Another resident, Papa Emeka whose wife left the hospital days before Christmas was nowhere in the mood for the season.
When our correspondent reached out to him on phone his voice was low.
“Are people celebrating Christmas,?” he asked, his voice dripping with disillusionNas he added “I have even forgotten that Christmas held days ago. Good luck to you.”
Aside not being able to buy quality food to celebrate the season, a woman, Mama David lamented that there was no water even to drink and to birth.
“Since there was no power supply, we could not pump water from the borehole. So we had to be roaming around looking for water anywhere we could find it.
“Worse still, the sachet water companies have increased their prices. Right now, five bags of water sell for N2,000. A bag is selling for N500. Even water to drink is becoming difficult of the ordinary person. How long shall we continue to live like this?” she asked.
It’s lamentation in Surulere
A couple of residents of Surulere who spoke to our correspondent lamented one form of challenge or the other.
Godfrey Amawule who lives in Ijesha was unhappy that the banks were not giving out cash.
“It was sad that one could not get money even when one had amount in the bank. Most of the ATMs were not dispensing any money. To some people, the POS operators were their rescue. Of course, some of them too didn’t have cash. And you are aware that their charges have gone up?
“We were not talking about not having money to buy food to eat; we were suffering more because we could not access the little we had in the banks.”
Henry Igeibor, a driver, told our correspondent that he had to work even on Christmas day just to make ends meet.
“It is not the best to go to work on Christmas day, but what would anyone in my shoes do? If you have children to cater for and school fees to pay in January, you have to shun pleasure to see what you can do to help your family.”
He disclosed that he never lacked cash because he always had something to take home at the close of work.
Calmness in Ojo
James Ejiga, an estate agent and resident of Ketu in Ojo area, told our correspondent that the resident had low-key celebrations.
“Our area is always calm. However, the residents did their best to be happy.
“But you could see that the people are poorer; people didn’t have money to celebrate like before.
“Here in Ketu, we have not had power supply over the past five days; I don’t know why.”
However, he said on Christmas day, youths in the area gathered at a place he called “T Junction” and had a thrilling musical festival.
Lots of life at Ajah
It was a different stroke for some residents of Ajah, an upmarket area of Lagos.
Our correspondent gathered that many of the area’s residents had a ball celebrating the season.
“Ajah is never lacking people eager to celebrate,” Tony Ejike a resident, told our correspondent jokingly.
“You know that this area is home to many persons who are seeing money. So, they are not part of your complaints that the economy is bad.
“People here are enjoying their lives to to hilt – going to parties and clubs and all that.
“The roads here are always very busy with its attendant punishing traffic jams; that tell you how much fun people here had during the Christmas.”