Barely 24 hours before Christmas, Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, resonates with concerns as residents and business owners lament the high cost of commodities and daily hardships. Commercial transporters and travelers also express frustration over soaring transportation expenses.
A Point of Sale (PoS) agent, reveals, “Things businesswise have not been rosy. We are just barely scraping, and it is not our fault. The Central Bank of Nigeria policy is not helping, but we can’t close shop because we have to survive too. This is the only business I know.”
Oluwakemi Oludare, another resident, shares her perspective on Christmas celebrations this year, stating, “I can’t imagine myself buying a chicken for as high as N20,000 when all these challenges stare me in the face. In order not to be in a financial mess by January, this Christmas is all about management. I don’t intend to travel, and I don’t even want people to visit me.”
Kamiludeen Muftaudeen, a transporter on the Osogbo to Ibadan route, acknowledges the increased holiday travel but points out the challenges, saying, “People are traveling, and they will still travel, but most of the gain we plough back into maintaining the vehicle. We replace worn-out or bad parts, pay mechanics, and also settle police men, FRSC personnel, and others along the expressway.”
Expressing the need for government intervention, Muftaudeen calls for a halt to the exploitation by those managing the roads. Meanwhile, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) pleads with Governor Ademola Adeleke to return the operation of motor parks to its union. Kazeem Oyewale, a NURTW chieftain, states, “It’s been over a year since we operated last in Osun State. The government should please forgive and forget in any way we offend them.”
