> Pain, anguish and hopelessness have wrecked this year's Christmas celebrations
> Bitterness is written on the faces of many Nigerians
> It is a season of lamentations
A report by Vanguard have revealed how many Nigerians are struggling on stay happy even as Christmas is less than 24 hours.
According to the report, from the north to the south, from the west to the east, it is a season of lamentations at Christmas.
Nigerians are crying that they have never had it this bad. The suffering many say is almost unbearable. The recession has affected wage earners and business people alike.
With the yuletide around the corner, many Nigerians are in a state of nostalgia of the season known for its fun fare, vacation and elaborate celebrations.
It is certain that this year will not follow the traditional pomp and pageantry that is always associated with the yuletide.
Many families have struggled to put food on their table as well as settling the house rents, school fees of their children and wards in private and unity schools and other sundry expenses.
In Bayelsa state, residents jokingly enthused that they wished Christmas would never come or could be postponed this year because according to them, the year has been the worst they have had to live through on account of the unprecedented challenges and high cost of living.
Many say they might not be able to afford rice, and other complimentary staple foods that are highly sought after and consumed during this period due to the high cost.
For those used to travelling to their country homes to spend time with kith and kins, this year’s economic situation may not permit such “luxury vacation.”
In Ondo state, workers are bracing up for the worst Christmas celebration ever as civil servants are presently owed six months salaries and pensions.
Residents complained that the little money they have cannot match the high cost of food items in the market.
Market women are grumbling that they are equally not making sales during this festive period because workers are owed salaries.
A civil servant Mrs Bolaji Awopetu said: ”We are just living by the day and trusting God that better days would come. Our leaders lack foresight, when the money was there they squandered it on irrelevances now that there is recession it is we the down trodden that are worse hit”.
In Oyo state, the story is the same. A worker in one of the federal government parastatals said this is hardest period he has ever experienced in life.
“If you go to markets, you will understand me better. Things are indescribably difficult. Is it the cost of rice you talk about or prices of other foodstuffs. We need serious prayer to overcome this trying period,” he said.
In Plateau state, residents say they are saving their monies for the school fees and house rents to pay in January.
In Adamawa state some described the present state of the economy in the country as the worst the country has ever gone through since 1960.
“We are almost heading towards disaster and unless something urgent is done, Nigerians will start dying of hunger”, a resident said.
In Lagos, there are cases of pots of food or soup on fire being stolen by desperate neighbours.
“My family and I have been living from hand to mouth since the recession started. I lost my job in the process, I lost everything I had. My landlord is threatening to send me packing and you are talking about celebrating Christmas,” a man said.
Meanwhile, Christmas hampers have been affected by the economic recession currently ravaging Nigeria as people have dumped it food items.
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