IS JANUARY A DIFFICULT MONTH?

Zion Zadok

The festivity in December comes with its excitement as well as pocket drain. Little wonder why most people term January to be the longest and the most challenging month of any year. Usually the excitement dwindles after the first week of January, when the thought of school fees or the landlord come visiting. It is generally termed to be a different month; however, some Abuja residents have expressed their sentiments and different opinions to ETCETERA about the month of January.
 Kingsley Kanem believes it has to do with perception and one’s status in the society. The businessman said, “For some people it can be a difficult month. But for me, every month is the same; it depends on how you plan your life. It also has to do with faith for me, I am a Christian and I don’t believe in having a better yesterday but in improvement. If January 2015 was difficult, 2016 January should bring a little improvement.
“People tend to spend a lot in December for the festivities and they forget to save up something for January. And for family people, who have bills to pay, especially school fees, I believe proper planning will help. Otherwise, they will see the month as a very challenging month. I as a single person can still manage.”
Victoria Yakubu shares Kanem’s sentiments about one’s perception of the month of January and proper planning. The civil servant said, “For me, it depends on how you see yourself. With God there is no difficulty. I see January as any other month. So it depends on one’s view. Planning is very important. Why must you spend so much during festivities? Do you eat more than your stomach? So it depends on how you plan your life. Cut your coat according to your coat.”
Ogechi Ugonna attests to the difficulty of the month with her own personal constraint.
“Yes oh because right now I am broke. After the festivities, which a lot of money has gone into, salaries come at the end of the month, which seems to be moving slow. So I would say it is a challenging month,” the corps member said.
 She however explained a strategy to survive the challenging period.
“I believe being economic conscious help one through the month. If one is careful on how he or she spends it will help take them through the month. Like me now, I am taking the taxi along to cut down on cost instead of chattering one, because I am broke.”
For, Christopher Nnabuchi who is a commercial driver there is only one palaver with the month of January and at all every other month for that matter, and that is the activities of the Vehicles Insurance Officers (VIO) and the Task Force around the FCT.
“This January e good but one thing is that VIO or Task Force will not allow us to work. As you see me like this, I get 7 children. If I carry motor comot in the morning, I dey balance the owner N3000. No parking space. If you climb up, VIO go catch you, if you park by the pavement it is an offence, so our problem na VIO. Buhari dey do well, na VIO be my problem. If they know how they go take stop this VIO, Nigeria go good.”
Gloria Onyado , a trader at the popular Wuse market, decries that this difficulty started from the December 2015 when she experienced poor sales as opposed to the previous years.
“Everybody is complaining that there is no money in circulation, whether it’s because of Change or not, I just don’t get it. Like in my shop, the sales for this December were very poor when compared to December in 2014 when we sold a lot of goods. I think Government to push more money in circulation and they should pay workers on time, so that there would be food for the masses.”
People like Ahmed Adam however says he has no complain because as a tailor, every season is good.
“Some people find January to be a difficult month but for me, as a tailor, I don’t have any problem. But many people are crying about January, that it is the longest month, while it is still the same as December, so I don’t know why people are complaining,” he said.
 Sarah Williams, who is self-employed also, believes that January is as normal as any other month.
“Well I don’t think so because the month of January may be difficult at the beginning but it is stabilized towards the end.”
Onue Ochoche, who started the year 2016 with a major breakthrough, also believes the month of January is rather a good month than a challenging one.
 The Student/Pastry Chef said, “This month for me started on a good note. Generally people say January is a difficult month and all that, but for me, it started on a very good note. I am into business; I started a bakery this month and NAFDAC came for inspection and the sales so far have been very good.”