For Igbos of the South-East area of Nigeria, Christmas is a ritual that should be stored. It additionally serves as a homecoming for these within the Diaspora.
Most communities within the area organise fundraising for group tasks, like hospitals, electrical energy and faculties, amongst others. The individuals are identified for embarking on self assist tasks and the Christmas interval is commonly used for grand breaking of such tasks or for fundraising.
Weddings, conventional occasions, and burials are largely scheduled in the course of the Christmas interval, as a result of the hosts imagine that relations and well-wishers will all be round in the course of the Yuletide to grace the event.
Nonetheless, the 2023 Christmas could also be totally different within the sense that current occasions within the nation and within the South-East area particularly, could discourage individuals from touring for the festivity.
Excessive price of residing, occasioned by the financial crunch within the nation, withdrawal of petrol subsidy, which has elevated price of transportation and insecurity, significantly within the South-East zone, could discourage most households from touring to the East for this 12 months’s Christmas.
Julius Ndukuba, chief working officer, SNL, a producing agency, in Aba, the business hub of Abia State, stated, “Certainly, as a result of safety scenario of the South-East, earlier than and after the election. Information popping out of the zone doesn’t construct confidence. Even the politicians don’t belief one another.
“The variety of police, and armed forces verify factors inside the South-East is pure proof of an unsecured area. Sadly the federal government isn’t speaking to the residents, moderately they’re busy blaming it on politicians.
“Safety is everyone’s enterprise and the custodian of the village safety is the Eze. You know the way lots of them have been killed”.
He additionally said that top price of transportation, may discourage many households to journey for the Yuletide
Okey Ede, a public commentator, stated that the result of the Supreme Court docket judgement on Nnamdi Kanu’s case is one other issue that will discourage Southeasterns within the diaspora from coming house to have a good time this 12 months’s Christmas.
He noticed that insecurity will improve within the area, on account of the alleged Federal Authorities’s refusal to launch Kanu, who’s seen as a liberator of his individuals.
“With the way in which the judgment went on the case of MNK on the Supreme Court docket, I don’t suppose I’ll wish to spend the Yuletide within the East. Not due to the Indigenous Folks of Biafra (IPOB) or Jap Safety Community (ESN), however due to the menace of individuals masquerading as freedom fighters. They’ve been given one more reason to unleash terror on the individuals.
For Obinna Nwagbara, human rights activist, individuals touring to the South-East for Christmas will decline, as the price of transportation is excessive and most of the people can not afford it. So, is also the price of residing, usually.
Nonetheless, the will to see relations and to attend group conferences could drive individuals to return house for Christmas, regardless of the financial crunch and safety scenario, Ndukwe Ogbonna, a media practitioner noticed.
In line with him, the Christmas interval within the South-East is sort of a frenzy and other people stay up for it yearly, because it gives them the chance to return house and mingle with their individuals.
