Umuahia Residents Explain Low Key Easter Celebration

Residents of Umuahia celebrated a low key Easter because of economic hardship. Tourist sites, such as the National War Museum, which hosts the Ojukwu Bunker, recorded low patronage during the celebration.

Apart from church services, other social activities were at a lull, except at some restaurants and recreation centres.

A trader, Mr Cletus Imo, attributed the situation to the poor economy. ‘’There is no money, many families are facing economic hardship and cannot afford an elaborate celebration. ‘If you go round the town, you will discover that not many families cooked rice and chicken because the money is not there,’’ he said.

A housewife, Mrs Blessing Ikechukwu, who came to Ojukwu Bunker with her family, said that ‘’the poor economic situation affects social life in the town.

‘’When civil servants are not paid their meagre salaries as and when due, how do you expect the people to enjoy themselves?

‘’From where will they get the money?’’ Ikechukwu, who resides in the commercial town of Aba, asked. She described life in Umuahia as ‘boring.’

A civil servant in the state, who pleaded anonymity, said that he received his December, 2012 salary penultimate Thursday.

The respondent, who is a director in a state government-owned agency, said that he used more than 70 per cent of the money to settle ‘’part of the huge debt hanging on my head’’.

He asked: ‘’How possible will it be for anybody under such a condition to have an elaborate Easter celebration?’’

A local government worker and a one-time executive member of the state chapter of National Union of Local Government Employees, said on condition of anonymity, that cheques issued for the workers’ salary ‘’did not clear’’.

‘’For us in the local government, there is nothing like Easter celebration because there is no money ‘We are faced with serious economic difficulty; ‘most of us now live from hand to mouth, borrowing money to eat,’’ he said.

However, business activities carried on at the popular Isi-gate, near the Umuahia main market.

There was increased human traffic in the area and hawkers used the opportunity to record increased patronage of their goods.

Similarly, transporters enjoyed increased patronage as gaily dressed children and youths used the holiday period to visit places of interest.