Xmas: Is it going to be merry or gloomy?

IT is two weeks to Christmas but the hustle and bustle often experienced during the season is absent around the country. Many workers are not paid though there are promises by state governments occasioned by the balance of the Paris Club refund which President Muhammadu Buhari said would soon be paid to state governments.

Many traders are already lamenting the glut in sales and feeling nostalgic about a better last year, though Nigeria was officially in an economic recession then.

Dull market in Mowe

The popular Mowe Market close to the Redemption Camp in Ogun State was a shadow of itself when Sunday Tribune visited during the week. Christmas seemed far away given the activities going on there.

In fact, many of the traders refused to speak to Sunday Tribune asking that we should first go and talk to the government to do something before coming down to speak to them.

Mrs Olayinka Bello who spoke on behalf of beverage sellers painted a gloomy picture of the situation on ground, saying that the year has not been a rosy one due to the bad state of the economy.

“Actually what we normally do by this time of the year is to store goods, then start expecting a rush about one week to Christmas. But as you can see most shops are not full. There is no money to buy goods; prices of provisions have gone up and those that we normally borrow money from have increased it from 15% to 25%.

“Tell me how much someone could make on provisions that carried little or no profit that you will now go and borrow money at that rate. It is crazy and does not make any sense. This year has really been a tough one but we thank God for life; we believe next year will be better than this,” she stated.

David Uchechukwu who spoke on behalf of food stuff sellers was of similar view. According to him the government of the day has a lot of work to do to make life easier for the average Nigerian.

“My brother I don’t really understand this situation.  Government said they have defeated Boko Haram, but this terror group is preventing goods from coming down to us from the north. Those people that bring goods to us complain bitterly that most times Boko Haram hijacks their goods, thereby making it expensive for us buy.

“I don’t really know how this Christmas would be because things are very hard and expensive. The goods that should take seven days to get down here now take 14days. Government should look into the activities of this group; they are making life difficult for us. They should also pump money into the system. There is no money to store goods; a million naira is now nothing.

“Everyone is managing. Someone who could afford a bag of rice before now can no longer afford half bag and this has really affected our business. Abeg make una help us beg Buhari make he look at the side of the masses, the economy too hard,” he said.

Same story here

At the popular Dugbe market in Ibadan where Christmas decorations are sold, the traders said sales is very low due to the fact that workers are not paid.

One of the Christmas decoration seller, Mrs Olusola Bridal –star complained that the materials are costlier than what obtained last year.

“This year’s Christmas decoration sales is not moving at all due to non-payment of workers’ salaries. This year Christmas decorations are expensive compared to last year. Christmas cap last year was N200 and this year it is N300. Original cap for last year was N800 but now it is N1000.

For Mrs Olaonipekun Mary, another decorations seller Christmas is not in the air because she is not making sales.

“I can’t feel Christmas approaching at all. Potential buyers are just pricing the goods promising to come back for them,” she complained, adding that prices of the goods have increased compared to that of last year.

“AII we want is that government and private business owners should please pay workers their salaries so that they can come for Christmas gifts and items,” said Mrs Olanike Yussuf, adding that by this time last year, she was already smiling to the bank.

However, it is not all negative stories. Bukola aina, Biodun Adekoya and Adekoya Eniola all believe that things will get better and peak at the days close to Christmas.

According to Eniola, “There is little sales now but by second week of December sales will improve.”

Costly goods

Though most traders are banking on payment of salaries to workers as their saving grace, a civil servant in Lagos state who would not want to be named told Sunday Tribune: “What is the percentage of workers to the general population? Even if workers are paid, can their salary solve every problem given the weak naira?”

In Plateau State workers are not being owed salaries but pre-Christmas shopping is not in high gear either because, according to resident s of Jos the state capital the costs of goods and services especially foodstuffs are on the high side. In Jos the cost of rice ranges from N14,000 and above depending on the type.

However as the holidays draw nearer it is expected that commercial activities would pick up given Nigerians’ penchant for doing last minute shopping during festive seasons. It is only after then that traders can do a stock taking whether it was a merry Christmas or not

—Additional stories by Blessing Abiodun, Temidayo Akolawole and Grace Bulus, Tiamiyu Pelumi Timilehin Daramola