Many residents of Osun State otherwise known as the state of the virtuous, particularly Christians are excited about the joy associated with Christmas festival. As it was in the past the people are particularly concerned about preparation for hosting their loved one, well wishers and their kinsmen resident abroad and other parts of the country, who are likely to come to the state to celebrate the festival with them.
Few days to Christmas, major roads, especially ones linking Osogbo, the state capital city have been adorned with flowers, Christmas lights and other decorations by the state government to etch the happy feelings on the minds of the people. Coming into Osogbo via major roads there are bill boards sending greeting messages of the Christmas and the end-of-the-year sponsored by the state government and corporate organisations.
Also, many churches, public and private corporate buildings as well as some streets off the major roads are decorated in bright colour drape materials. No doubting both the government and the people are excited about the festival. What made the preparation more participatory was the fact that the Christmas festival is being celebrated annually close to the end of the Western calendar year.
As the festival drew very close, prices of goods went up, reducing the spending power of an average citizen of across the state. It is very clear that it was a national matter because the inflation cut across the country and it affects mostly more patronised goods during the Christmas season. Prices of textile materials, food stuffs, assorted drinks and others have astronomically gone up.
In the view of a provision seller at Olaiya Junction in Osogbo, Miss Saida Folasade Bello: “It is not strange that prices of goods go up at this period. For many past years, the pattern has been like that. It is predictable that it will be like that next year.” Miss Bello said many traders try as much as possible to secure cooperative and soft loans at least a month before end of the year to stock goods in order to buy relatively cheap and sell higher prices to maximise profit. However, she lamented that people’s spending power this year had been drastically reduced because of lack of money.
According to an aluminum profile and accessories trader, Alhaja Bola Salam, apart from the prices of materials going up people are indulged in buying goods on credit from them. Also, a boutique owner, Mr. Saheed Ajiboye, who attributed hike in prices of his textile materials to current high exchange rate of dollar, complained that buyers patronised more those who take goods to their homes and offices to buy on credit.
A motor dealer, Mr. Kunle Adeniyi, said rather than buy new cars people bring their used vehicles to them for sale because they want to use the proceed to complete their house projects and pack there this December in order to avoid paying new rent to their landlords. He said: “It is a lot more difficult selling used cars than new ones because many of these cars are in bad shape and more so, the profit margin on selling them was very minimal.”
Despite all odds, the state government and some notable organisations in the state like churches, banks, and telecommunication companies among others have tried to push some fund into the economy of the state with special decorations of major roads, some roundabout and their premises in major cities like Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikire, Ila, Ifon, Ilobu, Ejigbo, Ede and Ikirun.
Apart from the Mayfair roundabout housing Ori-Olokun statue in Ile-Ife, the Owa roundabout, accommodating the statue of Ogedengbe, the Ijesha war generalissimo in Ilesa, the Old Garage, housing Osun goddess statue and Ayetoro and Okefia roundabouts in Osogbo, the state capital, the state secretariat along Gbongan road and the roundabout leading into the office of the governor were heavily decorated.
The Osun State Commissioner for Finance, Economic Planning and Budget, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, said the state government had not only cut out a beautiful landscape but had provided money to go to those whose jobs are associated with the decorations.
He said: “There is a significant multiplier effect on the economy through the decoration. It is a way largely of injecting money into the local economy. For instance, the materials for the decoration were sourced from within the state, those who got the contract for the decoration, no doubt, run their operation fully here. And we expect that the money they make will be used to buy things they need for personal use like foods, petrol into their cars and many other things from people in the state.”
His counterpart in Information and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Akere, said those criticising the decoration of roads and public places are only doing so out of sheer ignorance or mischief. “It is a fad all over the world to see public places draped in bright colours at this time of the year. It goes a long way to set peoples mood right and suggests to people that we are in a season promoting love to one another and sharing of what you have with the less privileged in the society. Before the Rauf Aregbesola administration assumption of power less importance were paid to beautification of the environment. The state government since assumption of office has always show interest in making our environment healthy to live in and attractive to visitors.”
An interior decorator and event planner, Miss Ibukun Ojo, confessed that she had been favoured by the season. According to her, many churches and few branch offices of some banks have awarded her decoration contract.
Also, a bricklayer, Mr Rasak said, he had more than enough construction work to handle this season. However, he revealed that prices of building materials have skyrocketed, saying some have resorted to selling their property to speed up the completion of their house projects.
Meanwhile, to make the people enjoy the season, the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, about three days ago directed the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment to give free train ride to travellers from Lagos to the state during Christmas and New Year period. Since his assumption of office three years ago, Governor Aregbesola has been offering free train ride on all religious public holidays to those coming into the state. The Commissioner for Commerce Industry Cooperatives and Empowerment, Mr. Ismail Jayeoba-Alagbada, said the free train is to facilitate smooth and hitch-free transportation for people coming to the state during the yuletide. He said the gesture by the government to people willing to come home during Christmas and New Year, is aimed at easing their travelling during this hectic period.
A Christmas party for the children is being planned by the wife of the governor, Mrs. Serifat Aregbesola, to make the season enjoyable, while a Christmas carol to be hosted inside the Government House in Okefia is also on the card.
While many parents are concerned about raising money to finance the celebration of the season, children talk more about fireworks and use of bangers to excite themselves. An eight-year old Araoluwa Odesola, said she had been looking forward to enjoy the season when she and her family would exchange visits with other families.
But the General Overseer of the Kingdom Gate Missionary Church, Pastor Femi Oyeyemi, admonished the people to pay more importance to the message which the birth of Jesus is preaching rather than the commercial aspect and the celebration of the Christmas season.
