Ahead of December 25th Christmas: Some Workers Lament In Bayelsa As Debts Consume their Salaries

 By Azi Aaron

Ahead of December 25 Christmas Day celebration, some workers in Bayelsa state have lamented that they lack money to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ owing to the unbearable economic hardship, inflation and the high cost of living which had compelled them to owe debts that engulf their forthcoming December salaries.

 

This was disclosed in a chat with Global Overseer correspondent on condition of anonymity, on their preparation for the forthcoming celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, at their duty posts on Tuesday, in Yenagoa.

In their words some of them said "Look, life is more important. So, we must eat and live. We must to owe to feed our families, cater for our children education and other unforeseen expenses, because our current salaries are not enough to meet our daily financial needs arising from the present high cost of living and inflation in the country.

You see, some of us have complied with Governor Douye Diri's policy and directive for civil servants to go and farm. And you know, you can't plant cassava today and harvest it. It will be one year if the farm is not affected by the flood.

So, we owe to survive, if you are hungry and you don't have anything to eat? That was why our forthcoming December salaries is for payment of debts we owe to survive.  We have no money to celebrate this year's Christmas because of the debts we owed, which must be paid when we take salary. Our salaries alone are not enough to feed and meet our needs. That was why most of us have to farm.

On the way forward, they said the governor of Bayelsa State is a civil servant’s friendly governor, adding that if he pays Christmas bonus or 13 months’ salary like some states in the federation have announced to pay civil servants, then, undoubtedly, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.”

It is a truism that economic hardship and high costs of living in Nigeria have indeed led to severe challenges for many families, with starvation becoming a pressing issue in various parts of the country.

That was why despite the recent wage award paid to workers, many state governors realized the need to pay 13th months’ salary to ameliorate the plights of civil servants to cope with the forthcoming January hardship after the Christmas celebration.

The adverse effects of economic hardship, inflation and rising prices have caused millions of Nigerians to fall into poverty, especially those who are unskilled or unemployed.

As a result, the buying power of many households in Nigeria is eroding due to soaring prices and falling disposable income, leading to households not being able to afford their basic needs, compounding their precarious financial situation, and further pushing them into poverty.

Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, leading to widespread hardship and anger.

A litre of petrol costs more than three times what it did nine months ago, while the price of the staple food, rice, has more than doubled in the past year.

These two figures highlight the difficulties that many Nigerians are facing as wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living.