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Charity Nwakaudu
As Christmas approaches, people tend to be psychologically under pressure, which comes with high expectations. Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) are not immune to these feelings, especially as they live in the seat of power believed to be the centre of the nation’s wealth.
Christmas season, a period Christians set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ has always been an unusual one. For the Christians, there is no other festive season ranked above it especially as it ushers in the New Year.
The Yuletide always creates convivial atmosphere in major cities, towns and villages across the globe including Abuja. Although this year’s Christmas seen to have come with mixed feelings as most residents of the FCT, who spoke with Daily Sun confessed that celebration is going to be low key due to the economic situation.
Ayo Jide said: “The economic situation in the country is so hard that feeding now is even a problem. It is already Christmas and I have not done any preparation because there is no money and everything in the market is very expensive, just a bag of rice is double of what it used to be.
“You have not talked about other food items. Although my children are disturbing that they want to travel to the village to see our parents, it won’t be possible because we can’t afford it this time.”
A mother of two and resident of Utako, Okechukwu One said: “This year’s Christmas is not going to be large like it used to be because of the situation of things in the country. In the past, by this time I have concluded my shopping and arrangements for the family but this year I have not done anything.
“As for traveling out Abuja for the festival, it is out of the plan, we are not traveling home this year. We went last year and the beginning of the year was pure hell because even sending the kids back to school was difficult.
“This time we have learned our lessons. The little things that we can afford we will send to our parents at home while we celebrate the holidays herein Abuja.”
A resident of Maitama, John Aliyu, aligned with others that things are very tough, just as he noted that the closure of the land border by the Federal Government contributed in increasing the cost of living:
“Since I started living in Abuja, I have never experienced a year like this. Things are very hard especially with the closure of land border, everything became expensive and there is even no money in circulation.
“I used to send bags of rice to my mother in the village to distribute to the widows in my village but this year I have not been able to settle my immediate family, let alone sending to others. I feel very sad because it is one of the things I have pledged to be doing to contribute to the welfare of the less privileged.”
Traders are not left out of the complaints as they admitted that patronage has been very low compared to what they used to have in previous years. A dealer in onions at Wuse Market, Adamu Isa, said: “Previously, by this time, we made large sales. But this year nothing is really happening.”
Another trader, dealing on rice, John Alana, agreed that sales have been very poor this year: “This is normally our season because people come to buy rice in bags to distribute to families and well-wishers. But with the price of rice today, everywhere is like no Christmas is coming up soon.”
Tailors also lamented low patronage and that the little they have collected, most of the customers have not given reasonable advance that would aid them in sewing the materials. They are not ready to tie down their resources on clothes that they are not sure if their owners will come for collection.
One of them, Olivia Eleojo, said: “This year is different from the other years, the hardship in the country is being felt all round. It is very few customers that are bringing clothes for sewing. It is so bad that even paying deposit for work has become a problem.”
Another tailor at Jabi, Samson Sholla, said: “I normally stopped receiving materials from customers by the end of November previous years. But this year, I am still collecting yet I have not collected any reasonable number of clothes.
“The greatest nightmare is that most of the customers have not deposited anything, they just dropped their clothes and I won’t make it with my money because some of them may never come back for collection.”
However, even in the midst of the heat, some FCT residents admitted that this is their best year and that they have made necessary arrangements and eagerly waiting for the day. David Eke from Dutse stated that this Christmas is going to be one of best because he has done all the necessary preparation and just waiting to travel home to join his people for the festival:
“As a family man with three kids, I started my arrangements from January. As prices of some food stuffs went rapidly high, I am not affected because I planned and saved ahead of time. I have gotten everything I needed for the festival and even paid my children’s fees for the next term. When you plan ahead, you will always be at the safer side.”
A businessman in Kuje, Joy Nwagor, agreed that life is all about planning: “This is going to be one of my best Christmas because I have gotten everything set and ready to travel home with my family for the holidays. Yes most people are crying for the high cost of foodstuffs in the market, especially rice. I don’t have issues with that because I planned ahead of time. Good enough that my family members are already used to Nigerian rice even before border closure.”
