By Douglas Anele

Already, the year 2015 is up and running. All over the world, people are trying to get themselves together after the razzmatazz of Christmas and Near Year celebrations. Because of unnecessary extravagant spending associated with the festivities, many families find themselves deep in debt at the beginning of the year, just when the time for paying school fees, house rent etc was due.

Again, thousands of people jeopardised their health because of excessive eating and drinking and too much sex. All this makes the New Year stressful. The irony is that people complaining now about financial difficulties will repeat the same mistakes again next Yuletide, and the vicious circle continues.

Another phenomenon that deserves comment is the money-making or commercial component of Christmas, which has almost completely overshadowed and swallowed up its purported spiritual essence. Christian religious leaders, especially those belonging to the Pentecostal denominations, see the celebration as an excellent opportunity to make money by organising crusades and other church programmes. Pastors of big churches collect tithes amounting to billions of naira in cash and expensive good, all in the name of working for God.

Given the exponential increase in the volume of resources flowing into the big, well-established churches, a forensic investigation of their financial transactions by government is necessary so that fraudulent pastors, bishops and so on would be identified and sanctioned according to law. Gullible Nigerians do not fully appreciate the astonishing kinds of atrocities going on in the “house of God.” If they did, attendance to churches would drop drastically.

Yet, Christmas has its positive side as well. It is a wonderful opportunity for Nigerians to visit their villages and reunite with family members and relatives they had not seen in years. Moreover, it is a period for cultural revival. Different communities hold end of year meetings and host exciting festivals during which masquerades, cultural dance troupes among others entertain the people. These events promote cultural awareness particularly among those living in cities and in the Diaspora who have lost contact with their culture.

In the last four years, every December reminds me of the death of my parents; first, my mother, Gladys Anele, who died in December, 2010, followed by my father, deceased three years later. I miss them, especially my mother: she virtually sacrificed herself for her children unconditionally. I am lucky to have had the kind of parents I had, who worked hard to provide for their children inspite of severe constraints. People should take care of their parent while they are alive; expensive burials after years of neglecting them is absurd, because life is everything and the dead are gone forever and conscious of nothing.

As usual in January, I try in this column to render to Caesar the things that are his by expressing publicly my genuine appreciation of people who in different ways made my life worth living with kindness and love the previous year. Beginning from the University of Lagos where I work, I wish to thank the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon Adisa Bello, a serious-minded scholar who has been kind to me on several occasions.

I wish you and the Deputy Vice Chancellors, Prof. Duro Oni and Prof. Babajide Alo the best as you pilot the affairs of our university to loftier heights. All my colleagues in the Department of Philosophy, especially Profs. Jim Unah and Muyiwa Falaiye, Drs. Chris Osegenwune, Modestus Onyeaghalaji, E.O. Kehinde, and Peter Oni, Peter Osimiri, Debo Gbadebo and Surajudeen Owosho – you were good to me and I am grateful for that.

Dr. Adeyemi Daramola, Dr. David Aworawo, Dee Tony, “Zenith,” Dr. Isaac Nwogwugwu, Dr. Peju Layiwola, Kalu Onuma, Chief Martin Agbaso, Profs. Ngozi Osarenren and her husband, H.O.D. Longe, Princewill Alozie, Joe Abugu, and L.O. Chukwu – I really appreciate all of you for your kindness. My good friends who are like brothers to me – Chiefs Innocent Egwim, Ralph Obiduba, Charles Edosonwan (SAN), and Emmanuel Ofodile; Fred Udueme, AGM (Brand) Vanguard Group and Mike Enyinnaya, your presence in my life made a difference – thank you very much. My friends at the University of Ibadan, particularly Profs. Isaac Ukpokolo, Chris Agulanna, and Bola Ekanola; Drs. Francis Offor and Amechi C. Udefi – i cannot forget any of you in a hurry.

Dr. Fatai Asodun, Rotimi Omosulu, Dennis Otto, Stanley Nkemole, and Jude Nwankwo – all budding scholars in the Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos, Akoka; you will grow from strength to strength. Matthew Itodo and Lugard, I cherish both of you so much. I also wish to acknowledge Babatee, Debostic, Big Worm, Lawflora and his wife, and all those who helped fix some of my automobile problems last year. To Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu, Jide Ajani and the people at Sunday Vanguard; I say, “May your shadow never grow less.”

Residents of Block C, Highrise, University of Lagos; apart from one or two “misfits,” I feel good with the community life we share. Police officers Abe and Yemi, you are my friends indeed – I appreciate. My main man Nduka, Hajiyah, Mercy, Ngooo, Jude Obaro, Abiodun, and Bunmi; in different ways all of you were good to me and I wish you all the very best this year and onwards. Franco and Emmy Don my cousins; thank you both for all you did for me last year. My big sister Ihuoma; we disagree sometimes, but I feel proud to have you as my sister! Sincerest regards to your husband, Dee Sam, and your children. I remember my mother in-law, Mama Pee; i wish you good health and lasting happiness.

My dear wife, Ijeoma, and my two sweet daughters, Nwanyioma and Nwadiuto, you enrich my life in so many ways. IJ baby, I know that I have not been all you expect me to be. Of course, there is no perfect human being anywhere, and I never claimed to be one. You are a sincere Christian married to a staunch unbeliever like me. Hence, there is bound to be existential turbulence now and then. I definitely will not change my irreligious worldview, and do not expect you to abandon your catholic faith so that we can see things from the same perspective.

Yet, inspite of our issues, I deeply appreciate your efforts for the family. You are a great mother to our children and a better wife than most women I have known, although none of these guarantees anything. If, as they say, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then you have hit the bull’s eye because of your finger-licking meals. I will continue to cherish you.

Enigma, appearance is not reality! What I thought would stand the test of time probably was an illusion all along, a fleeting moment of exquisite dew which dries off at the first touch of the morning sun, a grasping after the wind, so enchanting and yet ephemeral! Anyway, the glory is not in never stumbling, but in getting up and continuing after each stumble.

There is no way I can remember everyone who in one way or another made a positive impact on my life in 2014. But whether I mentioned your name here or not, just bear in mind that I am truly grateful. As usual, without you, I am nothing! CONCLUDED.