Christmas has come and gone and those that crossed over to the New Year 2024 have every reason to look back in gratitude to their Maker if not for anything else, at least for crossing over with their heart still beating in a country bedevilled by insecurity and unbearably suffocating living standards; in a country where bandits and terrorists defy the nation’s military and traverse several towns and villages leaving their trademark of tears, sorrow, and blood. But that is a matter for another day.
The issue in most Nigerian households soon after the yuletide is how to face the vicissitudes of life that come with every New Year, particularly in January. Every struggling parent in this country, and even the rich, know that the fear of January is the beginning of wisdom. While revelling in the joy of Christmas and New Year festivities, and oftentimes spending extravagantly on whatever caught their fancy in the market, the tendency is for parents and guardians to be carried away, only to cross over to meet the harsh reality of January staring them in the face, the chief of which is the payment of school fees for their children and wards. If the school fees coincide with house rent, then clearly, “trouble don wear khaki”; the tragedy is complete! This is not peculiar to parents alone. These days young schoolboys and girls indulge in bloodcurdling sexual orgies and all kinds of schemes and scams to purchase brand new cars for themselves in preparation for Christmas to prove to the world that they have “arrived”, forgetting that they ought to prepare for the next academic session that begins in January. By the time school resumes after the merriment, they become liabilities to their families and the school authorities. Of course, as the Urhobos would say, “If a small boy starts to indulge in sweet things under the underwear, the sweet things under the underwear will very soon kill him at a tender age”. This is the trouble with January.
Now, in some climes January is regarded as the month of celebrations. As a matter of fact, each and every day in the month of January, one thing or the other is slated for celebration. The Greeks celebrate the entire January which is named after Janus, who, according to them, is their god of beginnings and transitions. January 2nd is Swiss Cheese Day. January 3rd is Women Rock Day in Europe and America. January 5th is National Bird Day; even if you don’t rear birds, you are expected to take time off to appreciate birds; except that only God knows how you’re going to do this here in our dear country when you are looking for your children’s school fees! January 6th is celebrated as National Take-Down-the-Christmas-Tree Day; that is, if you were able to afford one before Christmas. January 16th in the United States is Martin Luther King Day. January 19th is National Popcorn Day, whatever that means. There are days in January to celebrate Irish coffee, meat-pie, peanuts, and say bonjour to the French Croissant. The list is endless in those countries and they are free to celebrate whatever they like, but not here in Nigeria. If, for instance, you buy meat-pie in Nigeria, you’d simply put it in your mouth and eat it, and that is the end of the matter. Whoever wants to celebrate it should go and buy his own and celebrate!
In our own part of the world, January naturally calls for sober reflection, stocktaking and projections on how to grow and prosper as individual citizens and as a nation in need of hope. This theme of hope and aspirations of the good people of this country was re-echoed in President Tinubu’s New Year national broadcast with assurances of improved living standards for the masses; and from the reactions that trailed the broadcast, nothing short of the fulfilment of those promises would be acceptable. While wishing the President and the entire nation a happy and prosperous New Year, it is hoped that this year and in the years to come, the citizens of this country would have cause to celebrate even in January like their counterparts in some other parts of the world.
*Anthony-Spinks writes from Asaba, Delta State.
