There are strong indications that the current scarcity of fuel, low cash flow as well as rising cost of commodities may have affected the patronage of event centres and beaches in Lagos metropolis during the Christmas period.
Also affected are interstate drivers as they also witness low turnout of travellers.
Most event centres visited witnessed low turnout of fun seekers as those who spoke with our correspondent complained of high inflationary trend particularly both on the eve of Christmas and Christmas day.
Those who could not travel home, blamed it on the hike in the cost of transportation.
Peter Odiaka, from Nsukka in Enugu State said the cost of transportation per person rose from N15,000 in the week preceding the Christmas day to over N25,000.
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“I would have spent over N100,000 to transport my wife, my two children and my wife’s younger sister to Enugu and another N100,000 back. This excludes the cost of feeding while on transit.”
Chukwudi Onyedika, said he only package what he has for his parents and waybill it to the village. According to him, what he would have spent on transpiration is enough for the Christmas and New Year celebration.
“I hope that next year will be better. If it is, I will visit my parents during Easter celebration,” he added.
Traders at the ever-busy Eleko beach also had similar stories to tell. Ahmed Nuruderen, a security guard at the beach, lamented the poor turnout of fun seekers.
The 56-year-old security man said he makes over N10,000 from parking and securing visitors’ cars aside from tips while selling the tickets but it was lower this year.
“I hope the New Year celebration will be better. A lot of groups and social clubs who like beach parties couldn’t make it because of fuel scarcity,” he said.
General Manager, Operations at Ekeson motors Jibowu, in Lagos, Ndubisi Madu, said the bus park witnessed low turnout of passengers too.
“Before now, we engaged in uncountable trips from Lagos to the east during the Christmas season but this year is the worst.”
A traveller, Mr Monday Akpan, said he paid N22,000 for a bus to Calabar and paid N9,000 for luggage while Mrs Anita Monday, paid N20,000 to Ebonyi.
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