Christians in Bauchi are observing a subdued Easter celebration amidst a challenging economic environment marked by soaring prices of essential goods.
A visit to major markets like Wunti, Muda Lawal, Central, and Yelwa reveals a notable decline in business activity, with fewer buyers compared to previous years.
The situation is particularly dire for vendors selling perishable items such as tomatoes, fresh pepper, onions, and vegetables, who find themselves with ample stock but few customers.
They attribute this downturn to the prevailing economic hardships, which have significantly reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians, especially those in the middle and lower income brackets.
Addressing these economic challenges is crucial to ensure that festive occasions like Easter can be celebrated without undue financial strain on individuals and families.
They said that people could not afford money to buy items like they used to do in the previous years praying that God will intervene and make things better.
At the Chicken market, business was very low as only a few people could afford to buy considering the high price as the cheapest one can get is N15000 per one local Cock because the Agric breed cannot be purchased.
Speaking on the issue, Bauchi State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Rev Dr Abraham Dimeus called on Christians not to stress themselves reminding them that Easter is all about death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which must be used for sober reflections.
He, however, urged them to use the period for prayers to God for divine intervention so that the situation will not get out of hands to become worst.
Also speaking, Chairman, North-East Baptist Conference of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev Ezekiel Oyebode called on Christians to lose focus of the meaning and importance of Easter which is the remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He agreed that the situation is bad but not out of salvaging by God stressing that, “If God can raise Jesus Christ from the dead, there is nothing impossible for Him to do. All we have to do is to call on Him from clean hearts.”
