By Rev. Fr. Gerald Nwafor
In Advent, we prepare for Christmas, but it should not be a do-or-die preparation. If you go into Main Market Onitsha (MMO) now, you will not miss the point of what is coming. But I will advise also that we should approach the season with caution. Some people would like to make all the money they cannot make from January to November during this period of Xmas.
I know that we will show off our new cars and attire and in some cases castles and mansions but please remember that after December January comes along and we queue into the normal season. It is not a must that you will ride a Highlander jeep and Nissan Pathfinder.
Those things are good, but they should not be by fire by force. I remember watching the movie “ONWA DECEMBER,” in the early 2000s, wherein a young promising boy engaged in armed robbery to make quick money so he could celebrate Christmas in grand style. He lost his life in that venture. Today, we may not be in that position to engage in physical robbery and larceny. Still, if we engage in doubling the price of all the commodities in the name of making good money for the season, it is not a very good idea because we know what the government of Tinubu has done to the Nigerian public, especially the easterners.
The Northerners still have some reserve from what they stole with Buhari, while the Westerners are on it now with Tinubu. The only outsiders in the Nigerian equation are the Easterners, so be gentle and nice to them during this season in the market.I know that in the past, some families do kill cow, or cows as the case may be, during this season. But, we have a borrowed adage from the Western world that advises that people should cut their coats according to their size; and I will add that we should cut our coats according to the material we have available.
Cow killers can kill goats and goat killers should kill turkey if it is cheaper, and turkey people should kill chicken and the chicken people can manage fish. Remember that some fish are very costly, so do not go that side, but try the refrigerated ones, not the fresh ones (point and kill); those are for the moguls (akajiaku).
Those who buy Italian and English suits should patronize Aba Made because in recent times I have come to realize that Aba can be very classy. Even the governor of Anambra state has been on the front that we should be wearing Aba-made. Their shoes are very good, too. Nobody would ask you to raise your sole to see the maker and if you do not feel comfortable you can remove those labels that say made in Nigeria.
Save some money by patronizing Aba made. Thanks to God, the Nigerian farmers did a miracle to supply enough local rice. Last year I ate local rice all through and my stomach did not even notice it. So do not spend all the money on one bag of foreign rice; please use that money to buy four bags of local rice. I can assure you that the stomach will not revolt. I listened to the guy who said that we should not buy tin tomatoes because they are 90% chemical.
He was not wrong. Some of them are very good, but most of them are fake (Adigboroja). Buy the real local tomatoes, which are cheaper and healthier.I do not want to go into the female dressing and make-up because my father in confidence told me that had it been six girls and one boy, most of us would not have gone to the university. He told me that God made them that way. They are the jewel of society and should be treated as such. The only thing I must contribute to that area would be a simple appeal.
I have heard about Brazilian hair, iPhone, Italian nail polish, mascaras, additional eyelashes and eyebrows, and gold necklaces and gold rings. All those things are good, and our girls will wear them, but I will suggest that they should not be on another person’s account. If you can afford it, I will use the local slang, “carry go.” But if you cannot, please cut your coat according to your material. You may buy one now and wait for the economy to improve to add another one.
The women are the mothers, and they will always care for their babies. If you cannot buy both shoes and sandals, please buy only one and tell the baby to wait for the sandals next year because the way the economy is now, the blind and the deaf people know there is fire on the mountain. We call on the home providers to call a meeting of the family and let everyone know the situation of the country. “Things are not standing normal” (Ife amaro kwulu).
There must be a little adjustment so we can survive this time to see tomorrow, which we hope may be better than today. The rich people should not fail to celebrate some known and unknown events so the plebeians can come and have a good meal for the day.Finally, as we continue to prepare for the Xmas celebration, we should keep in mind that the birth of Jesus is a call for happiness beyond wealth and riches. It is a call to celebrate humanity and all the people God has put in your life (friends, family, workers, strangers, lovers, and haters alike). It is a time to celebrate yourself also and thank God for the progress you have made, and the life God has given you free of charge.
The ultimate is gratitude to God, who has allowed you to see another Christmas celebration despite all the hardships and challenges. Give all the glory to God because a dead man or woman does not wear Brazilian hair or drive a Highlander Jeep.
