Nigerians celebrate this year’s Christmas in low key as fuel scarcity and the harsh economic conditions continued to bite as the celebration appears not to have come with so much fun-fare, Blueprint has gathered.
There have been lamentations across the country following the surge in prices of foodstuffs and other commodities in the market.
Apart from the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called Petrol, which has made travelling difficult for most Nigerians, procuring foodstuffs for the season was another major problem.
The situation this year has left many unable to embark on fancy journeys, while those who have travelled or are planning to do so are complaining of high fares and fears about their safety.
“I went to the market to buy some foodstuffs for my family since I can’t afford a bag of rice but I was unable to get anything. I came back with nothing”, a housewife, Mrs. Adeyemo said with tears.
According to her, the 2022 Christmas “is the worst we have ever experienced. Things are so hard for us. I don’t know what I’m going to tell these children tomorrow. I could not even buy ‘okrika clothes’ for them”.
“The goat we used to buy N15,000 is what I just bought today with my hard earned N30,000. This is almost my monthly salary, but these children will not understand”, he lamented.
“I went to the market to buy some foodstuffs for my family since I can’t afford a bag of rice but I was unable to get anything. I came back with nothing”, a housewife, Mrs. Akintola said with tears.
A passenger, Mr. Sina Dare, who was unable to pay for travel this year because of the high fare and the situation in the country said, “This is what we experience every year in this country. How on earth can a journey from Lagos to Akure cost N5,000? And the worst is that the transport companies do whatever they want and there is no government to speak for us.
“I wanted to go home with my family. I thought it was affordable; just last week, I learnt the fare was N5,000 per seat, he lamented.
Asked why the sudden increment, a driver working with one of the transport companies, said it was time for transportation companies to make money.
“Everything has a season. Apart from the fuel that is so expensive right now, Christmas is the time companies like this and we the drivers make money. It is our season”, he said.
