• As insecurity, acute poverty, high transport cost may mar celebrations
By Cosmas Omegoh & Agatha Emeadi
In a matter of days, Christmas will be here. Thereafter, the New Year celebrations will follow.
Both Christmas and the New Year are occasions when many Nigerians take a break from their all-year round hustles to join the rest of the world in celebrations. They didn’t create it, neither did it start today. It is an age-long tradition.
But as things are, certain prevailing circumstances are suggesting that many Nigerians might not join in the annual celebrations. Thus staring them in the face is a bleak Christmas and New Year. During this season, many would wish to be with their loved ones and kinsmen, but unfortunately this year, some circumstances might not permit them to do so.
Some of the reasons many Nigerians might not be enjoying their dream Christmas and New Year celebrations are what Sunday Sun uncovered in this recent investigations.
Our reporters who went to town discovered that obvious biting poverty, rising insecurity, and soaring cost of transportation have assumed larger than life challenges to them. These are among the reasons that will significantly impact a lot of people’s life and celebrations in the days ahead.
Many don’t have money even to buy food
“There is hunger in town,” a concerned Nigeria,” Tony Ikhator, told our correspondent in Lagos.
He added: “No one needs to be told now that millions of Nigerians are gravely suffering multi-dimensional poverty. You see hunger in every face; you see it in people’s aggression.
“These days, if I receive 10 calls in a day, no fewer than four will be request for money. That shows you that we are in trouble.
“Now, it is few days to Christmas. Just imagine how most people will fare with the high cost of food in the market?”
Here, consider the plight of Iya Joke. The woman sells herbal mixtures to her customers in Isheri-Oshun area, a Lagos.
About 6:00p.m on that fateful day, she was returning from here daily hawking rounds, her wares sitting on her head as she trudged home hopelessly.
Beckoning on a neighbour, she came promptly, together they lowered her basket of assorted bottles of herb mixture to the ground. Then she slumped on a wooden bench nearby, wondering what she could do next.
“I have not made up to N700 today,” she complained bitterly to everyone who cared to listen.
“How do I put something down for five children to have at least a feel of food?” she queried.
Our correspondent learnt that there are many more people worst than Iya Joke who are merely surviving daily on charity.
Meanwhile, the cost of food has continued to rise in various markets across the land and going out of reach.
A bag of rice in Lagos, according to Okechukwu, a dealer in the commodity, is now N55,000, depending on the brand.
He forecast that “this is likely to go higher in the days ahead,” adding that “you know this is Christmas season when every family ought to be celebrating.”
Meanwhile, a paint-bucket of beans which hitherto cost N3,500 has now risen to N4,000. The prices of many other food items in the market have gone through the roof over the past months.
Our correspondent learnt that the removal of subsidy on fuel and the collapse of the official and parallel market exchange rates have significantly affected the prices of both domestic and imported food items.
Insecurity‘ll prevent most people from travelling
According to Sunday Sun findings, insecurity will be stopping a huge number of people from celebrating Christmas in their communities even when they have the money to travel home.
Across the country, there are rising incidents of kidnapping, cult and communal clashes, armed robbery, ritual killings, banditry, Fulani herders rampage, and even politically-motivated killings.
In the first place, many people will be afraid that in the days ahead, the roads will no longer be safe as kidnappers, bandits, robbers and many others evil-minded ones might be ambushing travellers, stealing from them and taking them into the bushes and subsequently be demanding ransom. Therefore, some people would prefer to stay safe in towns rather than risk travelling.
“I will prefer to stay back in Lagos,” Mr John Okafor told our correspondent.
“The roads are not safe these days. Kidnapping is taking place even in places you never imagined such ill will be happening.
“Do you see what is appening in Orsu Local Government in Imo State right now? Some communities there are deserted because of supremacy war and government-induced killings.
“Who wants to die in the name of celebrating Christmas!” he asked.
In Benue, it was learnt that some communities are firmly in the grip of Fulani herders. No one goes to such places for now.
“For three years now, I have not gone to my village in Kwande Local Government Area, Mr Iorbee Ihagh, a Tiv leader, told our correspondent.
“The Fulani are there. They have long burnt my three houses, schools and churches. No one dares to go there to meet them,” he said.
Some communities in Ondo State also complain about herders occupying their bushes and disturbing farmers from assessing their farms.
In Plateau State, the insecurity situation is a recurring decimal. Even when there is an ongoing Operation Safe Haven, many communities in the suburbs are not safe for returnees to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
Up in the North, the Kastina State government said that bandits had occupied a vast majority of the local governments, taking up abode in schools and people’s homes.
In Bornu and adjoining states, there were reports of renewed Boko Haram activities and beheading of innocent people lately.
Security forces have had hard times with ISWAP insurgents, lately arresting one of their suspected kingpins. Such is the danger they still pose to the people even with security operations targeted at getting rid of them.
In Ogun State, for instance, there are constant reports of cult clashes particularly in Sagamu area. Incidents of ritual killings are also rife. The same could be said to be happening in some remote communities in Rivers State which witness regular cult clashes, kidnapping and killing of security personnel.
Bad roads are challenges themselves
Across the country, the state of the roads is just deplorable. The receding rainy season had opened up craters on the highways, coupled with the fact that the roads are no longer being maintained.
It was learnt that the sorry state of the highways now has drastically reduced the travel time, just as it exposes motorists to the danger of being robbed and even kidnapped.
A driver, Kenneth Onuchi who plies Owerri to Lagos route said that the journey now takes up to 12 hours depending on whether there will be traffic congestion or not.
He said that the pains now being experienced was as a result of the poor condition of the roads.
“Right now, the roads are in very bad condition.
“Look at the situation at the Benin Bypas, for instance. It was all over the social media the other time. That mirrored what we pass through every day.”
He imagined what the situation would be when many more vehicles would be on the roads travelling for Christmas.
“We are likely going to see a situation where people will be spending two days on the road in the name of travelling for Christmas.”
A colleague, Mr Daniel Kanu, who sent a parcel to his relative in Umuahia through a courier service, said that the driver who left Lagos at 8:00a.m arrived at his destination at about midnight.
A woman, Mrs Ikaite Ekong, told our correspondent that she would better relax and travel after the New Year rather than spending close to two days on the road travelling to Etinam in Akwa Ibom State.
A man, Eddy Iwuji, who lives in Jos said that there was hardly anyway anyone would leave Jos nowadays and arrive Onitsha or Owerri the same day.
“You must spend two days on the roads.
“Our roads are very bad these days.
“What we have between Makurdi and Nsukka is simply terrible.
“After what I saw on the road the other time, I ask myself whether it is worth travelling for Christmas this year?” he said.
High cost of transport big challenge
Following the removal of subsidy on PMS, transport cost on every route in Nigeria has more than doubled.
A ticket to ride on a sprinter bus from Lagos to Onitsha which costs N7,000 sometime ago, has long risen to N21,000. Some transport companies are even charging as much N31,000 depending on the vehicle they operate.
With Christmas at the corner when many more people are expected to be travelling home for celebrations, transport cost will rise astronomically. And that is a fare not many people will be able to afford.
A manager with one of the major transport companies in Mazamaza area of Lagos who chose to be anonymous told our correspondent that currently, they were charging N15,000 for a ride on their mini-luxury bus to Owerri. But in the days ahead, he said the fare was likely to vary.
“There is hardly a season people do not travel home.
“We are sure to witness a surge in passengers. Then the fare will rise.
“This year, we are likely to see an increase in our mini-luxury bus fare rising as high as N30,000. “Those travelling on our sprinter busses will obviously pay more,” he said.
Sunday Sun gathered that a popular transport company based in Jibowu, Yaba area of Lagos stopped people from booking online beginning from December 10. It had envisaged to hike fares depending on passenger turn out. Therefore, allowing people to keep booking online early in the month would mean it would not have the opportunity to increase fares if most people booked online at lower fares.
A visit to Isolo-Ikotun axis where some inter-state transport companies are located showed that they were also getting ready for the Christmas rush.
Our correspondent met Chris Ndukwe, a civil servant with a government hospital in Lagos State, who came to make inquiries for his family to travel on December 15 to the East. They would be travelling for Christmas and the burial of their late grandmother.
After speaking with the ticket clerk, Ndukwe’s mood changed when he was told that the fare would likely hit N32,000 about that time.
Our correspondent learnt that the company currently charges N26,000 on it’s sprinter busses, whereas they are currently collecting N34,000 on their Toyota Sienna vehicles.
Lamenting the uncertainty that is to follow, Martins Abulu, a manager with one of the transport companies said: “We are not sure what the season will bring; but with the present situation on ground, I do not see fares coming down; instead; it will go up the more.”
Even the situation is not better among those who go by air.
Our correspondent also learnt that the sector is experiencing abysmal increases in fares.
A staff of one of the leading airlines who craved anonymity confirmed that an economy class ticket now costs between N100,000 and N120,000. And this is happening even before Christmas is yet to arrive.
Last year, an economy class ticket for an hour flight cost N70,000.
Our source reasoned that a ticket for a one-hour flight to Owerri, Port Harcourt or even Abuja this Christmas might cost as much as N180,000 or even more. Those who fly business class might be paying as much as N250,000.
“What that means is that a family of four travelling by air this time would have to budget at least N700,000, charges for a one-way trip to either the Southeast, South-south or the North depending on the destination.”
He further reasoned that the rise in air fares might also be connected with the increase in brand new aircraft being acquired by some of the airlines lately, which he said were good for passengers’ safety and comfort.
“I must also say that purchasing those airbuses with the present economic challenges, coupled with high exchange rate would surely affect the purse of the end-users.
“That is why passengers might be budgeting between N180,000 and N200,000 for a one-hour fight economy ticket this time round,” he said.