• As travelers explain motives for going home
CHRISTMAS is here again with its flurry of activities to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It also marks the end-of-year activities, a time for stocktaking, reflection and family re-union.
Hence, many people are already winding down activities for the year while those who have not yet travelled are still making plans to visit their hometowns to celebrate the Yuletide.
As expected, the roads get extremely busy with human and vehicular traffic, which sometimes results in road crashes and loss of lives.
Another signpost of this season is the hike in the prices of commodities and services, particularly transportation, foodstuffs, clothes among others.
Investigations by The Guardian revealed that transportation cost to the Southeastern states, which used to be N2,500 has doubled, as at December 18. At G.U.O and the Young Shall Grow motor parks, both at Okota and Maza-Maza, the fare is now N4,500.
God is Good, SunQuick, Libra, Ekeson, Abia Line and other interstate transport services charge N4,100. The chances are high that these prices would again be inflated before Christmas on Wednesday.
The bug of price hike has also hit the markets, as prices of foodstuffs and livestock have increased marginally across markets in Lagos.
At Mushin, a measure of tomato brand of rice now sells for N330 as against the earlier price of N300, while other brands cost N280, compared with the former price of N250. A standard measure of local rice now costs N200 as against the former price of N180.
A fairly big chicken costs between N2,000 to N2,500 while normal size of goat is between N30,000 and N35,000. A fairly big cow sells for between N150,000 to N200,000.
A rice trader at Daleko, Ajoke Kilani, who noted that a bag of rice is now N12,000 as against the earlier price of N10,000, attributed the increase to Christmas and the New Year celebrations.
Kilani explained that the new price regime is reflecting the law of economics, which states that prices of commodities and services increases as the demand for it surges.
Some of those who were traveling home for Christmas bared their minds to The Guardian. For Mr. Nathaniel Igwenagu, who came to drop off his family at G.U.O Park on Okota Road, the celebration is all about family reunion.
“One mustn’t live all his life in a foreign land. There is need to go home and see what is happening over there. What we came here to do is to make money for the benefit of our lives and dependants back at home.
“Besides, we have been hustling since January and I don’t think it is normal and healthy for a right thinking person to continue working all year round without giving himself a break from the hassles of a city like Lagos.
“And at home in the East, when you stay away from your people for too long without coming back with your family, people will start raising eyebrow and asking if all is well. We all know the condition of the country but then, we can’t neglect home,” he said.
Chinaza Okoye, a native of Anambra State, said her main reason for travelling for Christmas is to enhance her chances of getting married, most especially someone from her town.
According to her, Christmas is when many unmarried men come home with the intention of picking wives for themselves.
“In my family, our father has specifically warned us that even if we will marry outside of our town, it should never be outside of our state, and I too prefer marrying a man from my town. Living all my life in Lagos might not guarantee me that, which is why I look forward to traveling home every year to be with my extended family,” she said.
By Kenechukwu Ezeonyejiaku, Adeniyi Idowu Adunola and Tolulope Okunlola
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