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Preparing for Christmas in a recovering economy

By Samson Ezea
16 December 2017   |   3:16 am
All over the world, Christmas Day is a special day for Christians. It is set aside to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. So, every year Christians look up to the celebration of the nativity with great expectations and enthusiasm.

All over the world, Christmas Day is a special day for Christians. It is set aside to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. So, every year Christians look up to the celebration of the nativity with great expectations and enthusiasm. While some Christians do not celebrate Christmas, others celebrate it on different dates. In Nigeria, it is celebrated every December 25, amidst pomp and pageantry.

Surprisingly, less than two weeks to this year’s celebration, the usual expectations, preparations, ecstasy and upbeats that usually accompany it are clearly missing in every sense of it.

Instead, the atmosphere is replete with frustration, anxiety, complaints, indifference, lamentations and despondency among Christians. This is due to the gloomy and bleak living conditions occasioned by the country’s economic downturn.

The recession, which came like a bolt from the blues last year due mainly to fallen crude oil price, has inflicted a lot of pains and misery on most Nigerians.While many companies closed down, those still in operation are struggling to remain in business. There is rising inflation, high cost of living and loss of jobs, even as new jobs are hard to come by. Today, not many families can afford three square meals. This is despite claims by government and its officials that the economy is recovering fast.

Economic statistics and figures have been bandied by government agencies to justify government’s claim that the economy has recovered, but many Nigerians are yet to experience the positive impact of the recovery.

From Lagos to Abuja, Port Harcourt to Sokoto, many Nigerians are complaining of the economic hardship that is making it difficult for them to adequately prepare for the Christmas celebration. But even at that, some are making preparations within their financial capacity.

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