By Job Osazuwa
For many Nigerians, January is usually a difficult month.
It appears longer than 31 days because things tend to slow down after the Yuletide, when resources were lavished on celebrations, among other things.
Harsh economic realities tend to compound the situation with the spiraling cost of commodities and other necessities.
A Lagos-based driver with a marketing firm, Mr. Ayo Adeayo, said that January was always tortuous for him. He wished the month could be fast-forwarded to February.
“Though I am not a Christian, we also celebrate the season as a result of the compulsory holiday in my company. Moreover, I have many Christian friends who I visit during Christmas. My family and I also go for one or two outings in December.
“I understand this is the reason some companies pay their staff ’13th month’ salary. But it is only a few companies that have the strength to pay this 13th month and I will not blame some of them.
“My company paid our salary since December 20, 2021. Before January 10, it was already looking as if I was last paid two months ago. Unfortunately, most of the expenses during the Yuletide are unavoidable. My children would never understand that one could skip some of the merriment because they always look forward to the season. But God will help to overcome the month, no matter how long it might appear,” he said.
Also lamenting, Mr. Victor Oghenekeno, who earns his salary as a baker, told the reporter on the telephone that he was already in debt as early as January 7. The father of three, who lives in Ughelli, Delta State, complained that no one was ready to lend him money to survive the rest of the month.
“It became worse for me since I got married. For over six years now, every January is like 50 days long. I have always scaled through and I am sure this year will not be exempted.
“It is a bit easy as an individual, but immediately children start coming into the family, everything changes. Most children take those things during the Yuletide as their entitlement and, to an extent, they are right.
“The most annoying aspect is that nobody is ready to lend one some money to survive the long January. I have asked two of my friends this year to come to my aid but they only gave me excuses that they were passing through what I was also be passing through. In fact, one of them said he was about calling for financial assistance too. It is that bad,” he said.
Mr. Bright Omoruyi said paying school fees for his children was what he fears most every January. He said the month was lined up with a series of critical needs for him, adding that everything happened too fast.
“Before anyone says Jack, January is already knocking at your door. I have always tried to make certain strategic reserves for tough January but we still end up touching the reserve. Remembering that there are school fees to pay in January always makes my heart skip.
“I know that I am not alone in this kind of bitter January experience. Everything happens so fast in January. The hardship in the land has not also helped matters. The economy is in a pathetic situation.
“But I believe that moderation is the key in everything one does. While making merry, we need to remember that January is around the corner,” he advised.
An estate agent, based in Lagos, Justin Nwaemere, said that people working in corporate offices, tailors, artisans, business owners and dealers in goods are all lamenting the slow pace of January.
Nwaemere said: “It is worse in my profession because not many people embark on building projects at the beginning of the year. Yet, we still have to foot our day-to-day bills in our families.
“But proper planning has helped me to sail through the month of January over the years. I think salary earners are easily carried away when they receive their salary early in December. If they can remind themselves that they were not going to receive the next salary till early February that might just save the situation.
“Discipline is all we need to overcome January. I often laugh when some people say that January is the longest month, which is not true. It is lack of proper planning that always results to people complaining bitterly.”
Mr. Monday Boye, an employee of a popular inter-state transport company in Lagos, said it was not strange for him witnessing hard times in January: “It is always like this every year. The transport business that I am into is very predictable. We make so much money during the festive season, when people are travelling from Lagos to their hometowns. But, in January, the rush would shift to the destinations that the travellers went to. There is really low number of people travelling out of Lagos this January and it is understandable.
“Nobody needs to tell me that January will be tough. Once the money comes, there could be temptation to spend beyond limits, but self-restraint will solve the problem.”
For a hairstylist, Tina Elabor, her journey through January was a pitiable one. She lamented that there was no usual boom in December, which would have made her to save some money for the rainy day.
She said: “There is no money in town, that is why I am sober. But I just have to manage the little I have. Everywhere is dull because it is January. What else can I do, other than to endure?
“We still thank God for giving us sound health and for keeping us alive. It is only those who are alive that will be hoping for better days ahead.”
A father of five, Mr. Daniel Kings, said: “This year is worse for me because I incurred some unexpected expenses early January. My wife and I are both salary earners, so we have to wait till first week of February to receive our next salary.
“Whatever we see, we will manage it. We will soon stabilise and things will bounce back to normal.
“To make things worse is the high cost of all foodstuff in the market. For some months now, the prices of virtually all the staple foods have hit the roof. They have been on a steady increase, thereby making it inconvenient for the common man to afford. The little money one gets here and there is almost useless.”