Elizabeth Ogunbamowo And Vera Wisdom-Bassey
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. But in light of the ongoing battle against COVID-19 and its concomitant lockdowns of cities and lives, not many people appear to be in a celebratory mood. In any case, where is the rice, the chicken and Turkey meat, the fish, the vegetable oil, the drinks that had been used to celebrate the epoch event in the past? Findings show that they are in short supply or totally out of reach to the common man, no thanks to the economic slump, lockdowns and restriction of movement. Saturday Sun correspondents went round to talk to people on what they will miss this Easter as a result of the lockdown,and here are their responses:
Rachael Oke
(content developer)
“This year’s Easter will be different because in my church, Apostolic Faith, Easter Sunday is usually reserved for renditions of hymns on the Resurrection of Christ and special songs. These I love so much because they help to lift up my spirit. On Easter Monday mornings, we do converge at our DCC headquarters for another special service where the Great Commission is stressed as instructed by Jesus Christ before His ascension but I suspect that all these would not be physically possible this year and I would really miss that. Actually, the church has been using virtual technology to conduct worship services, every Sunday, in the past three weeks since the lockdown started. I guess that’s what we will have tomorrow Easter Sunday too.”
Temiloluwa Omotosho (postgraduate student)
“Before the pandemic thing set in, our Easter celebrations used to be marked by a lot of surprise visits by family members and loved ones. But with the current situation, I guess there will be no such visits this year. Everyone may have to stay in their houses and celebrate alone. To me, the joy of celebrating with family members and loved ones is what makes the occasion very interesting and memorable. But certainly that I will miss that this year.”
Chioma Ruphina (train hostess)
“Easter celebration is always a time for family reunion and get-together, to eat, drink and make merry. It is also a time we earn bonuses from my workplace. But with the lockdown, honestly, I am not looking forward to such this year. Right now, I can only afford the basic and nothing extra, to avoid spending more than necessary from my savings because nobody knows how long this lockdown of a thing is going to last. However, I would be sending some money to my parents but it would be unlike previous times. Definitely, the lockdown is rubbing off negatively on them.”
Alani Oluseyi
(chef)
“This year’s Easter will, definitely, not be like that of other years’ because there will be no church service. But my fear is that I might not be able to connect to the online service except I have enough data. Again, I regret to say that the special treats I usually prepare for Easter might not be possible this year because of the hike in the prices of food items. Last week, I was at the market and was shocked by the astronomical increase in the cost of ingredients. The prices of rice, beans, potatoes, pepper, roasted panla, vegetables are now up there in the roof. I don’t think one will be able to afford them this year as to begin to think of preparing a treat.”
Iyanu Adeniran (banker)
“My church usually observes some days of fasting and prayer during the Easter celebration whereby we gather together to pray. But we will miss that this year and will still miss more tomorrow because of the lockdown, the emphasis on social distancing and the restriction in movements. But these notwithstanding, I am going to celebrate this year’s Easter without the usual fanfare. Nobody is going to stop me from celebrating and observing Easter because this is the period that all Christians need to meditate more and pray more that God should forgive our sins and put a stop to this pandemic. This is a period we all need to share whatever we have with the needy and I am going to do that.”
Oluwasemilore Feranmi (trainee journalist)
“I usually celebrate the Easter with my family and, for me, it’s always a beautiful time of get-together. But right now I’m on lockdown in school and there is no way I can go home to be with my family. I don’t feel good at all. I miss my parents and they miss me too. My mum calls every day to check up on me. She wishes I’m at home so that she can take care of me but there’s no way I can move.”
Ejiamike Chidalu (corps member)
“With regard to this year’s Easter celebration, I will certainly miss vigil mass and outings. The picnics, all the outdoor funs, the visits, I will miss them. But I believe we will still cook our normal Easter food.”
Samson Akinrefon (businessman)
“I will miss mostly the visits and family hangout. Because everyone is scared of the unknown, I believe that none of that will be possible this year.”
Mama Favour
(fruit seller)
“I go miss Easter Sunday. That day, I dey always wake up for early morn-morn (morning) to cook rice for my family. I dey buy new cloth for my children too. But for this year, I no see money buy and I no know weda we go fit cook rice tomorrow because money no dey. But we thank God say our lives dey and dis corona wetin-una-call-am? never reach our side and God no go allowa m reach our side in Jesus name. Tomorrow, if Sunday service dey, we go go. If e no no dey, me and my family we go sit down jeje for our house and worship God.”
Mustapha
(petty trader)
“Money no dey. So, how we go come dey celebrate Easter? This one pass me o. I no like am say I no go go beach this year or kill chicken or goat and celebrate with my family. E be like say this year, all the chickens go dey happy say God don answer dem prayers because nobody go fit buy them or fit kill them.”
Thomas Ogbuewu (commercial bus driver)
“My own problem is, I don’t know how or where I am going to celebrate this year’s Easter. This is because I don’t live in Lagos. I am from Anambra State. I am an interstate commercial bus driver. I came in with passengers. And, few days after I came in, they locked up or is it locked down everywhere and since then I have been staying here in Lagos, doing nothing. I didn’t prepare to spend this year’s Easter in Lagos. But from the look of things, it is going to be so. I don’t know what else to do. I have never spent Easter outside my house and hometown. But it appears this year’s own is going to be different.
This is the first Easter I would spend without my family. I am not happy that they locked up everywhere and one can no longer move about. They say there are public holidays on Friday and Monday. But what is that to a man like me who cannot anywhere? Anambra too is locked down. My prayer is, let Lagos State open so that people who want to travel on Friday and Monday can travel.”
Jerome Emma
(civil servant)
“To me, the problem we have at hand, taking every step to save our lives as government people have told us to do is more important than Easter celebration. If we don’t celebrate this year’s Easter and we are alive because we followed instructions given to us, we will be alive to celebrate other Easters, in future. I am in support of the lock down and the instruction for people not to gather together in a place, either in the church or market. But the problem is that Nigerians are stubborn. As far I am concerned, it is better to endure for two weeks and live than to gather in the name of celebrating Easter and later die from Coronavirus. Easter will come and go. If we don’t celebrate this year’s own as we used to do, we will not die.”
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