Yuletide – Christmas and the period around it, with its festivities – is seen by many as a season of warmth, love, and peace, with Christmas itself being the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Yuletide is characterised by merriment, travels, recreation, charity, gatherings, etc., which promote social integration, peace and love.
Yearly, many families buy foodstuffs and other commodities months or weeks before Yuletide due to the price increases that characterise the season.
Increased services, including transport, also characterise the Yuletide period.
Analysts are worried that the ‘demands’ of Yuletide put pressure on many Nigerians, with some spending more than necessary and even taking loans, while others engage in stealing, fraud and other vices to raise money.
They believe that celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and the New Year should not put such pressure on Nigerians.
Analysts also argue that the price increase is not real but exploitative.
A social scientist, Dr Adebowale Lasisi, says Nigerians have a penchant for taking advantage of any opportunity to exploit others.
He says the exploitation reflects greed and unpatriotism.
“The craving to take advantage of others or cash in on a season such as Yuletide to exploit others through an increase in prices of goods and services should not arise.
Describing the trend as a social deformity, Lasisi is convinced that, with social security in place, such a situation will not be.
Lasisi, a university lecturer, calls on governments and civil society to help end the trend.
A former Imam of Lagos State University, Prof. Amidu Sanni, describes such an increase as retrogressive.
Sanni says that, instead of adding flavour to Yuletide, the trend dispossesses people of the purchasing power to celebrate the period.
“It has become an ugly tradition to have prices of consumables such as rice, condiments, confectionery and services such as transport and others, to increase during this period for no just cause.
“As a people, we must reverse this trend that serves no good.
“The worst is that any price that goes up never comes down, irrespective of economic derivatives geared toward price reduction by governments,” he argues.
He regrets that this Yuletide, some inter-state transport fares have increased by over 65 per cent, keeping many travellers stranded.
Mr Ogwuchukwu Ezeodili, a Manager at the Alaba, Ojo, Lagos State Luxury Bus Park, blames the increase on poor road conditions.
The transport manager describes Yuletide as a time of an upsurge in the number of travellers, saying that the poor condition of some roads, their wear and tear on vehicles, and the cost of vehicle maintenance contributed to higher transport fares.
Another transporter, Mr Andrew Bioseh, observes that increased fares have compelled many travellers to opt for night journeys despite the associated risks.
Bioseh notes that before Thursday (Christmas Day), transport fare from Lagos to Aba in Abia was between ₦28,000 and ₦30,000 during the daytime, while night travel cost ₦22,000.
According to him, at the moment, the daytime bus fare to Aba is ₦42,000, while the night bus fare is ₦33,000.
A traveller, Ms Ijeoma Ekezie, says she prefers night travel during festive periods.
to save cost and avoid overcrowding associated with daytime travel during such periods.
Bishop Charles Ighele of the Holy Spirit Church, Ikeja, warns that exploitation of any sort is a sin and should be avoided for personal and societal progress.
In a statement on Sunday, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) warned that exploitative or unfair practices by road transport operators would attract regulatory sanctions.
In the statement signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC said the warning followed complaints over arbitrary fare hikes by inter-city road transport operators across the country.
It acknowledged that seasonal demands, operational pressures and other legitimate cost factors might affect transport pricing.
“However, consumers are entitled to clear, accurate, and timely information on fares before travel. Any fare adjustment must therefore be transparently communicated and applied fairly,” it said.
Analysts urge collective efforts by governments, market associations, transport unions, civil society, and other stakeholders to eradicate the unwarranted increase in the cost of essential commodities and services during the Yuletide, in the interest of the masses.
