Date: 2020-06-19

Some residents in Ilorin said the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had opened their eyes to the irrelevancy of holding lavish and expensive ceremonies.

While speaking on lack of ceremonies due to the lockdown, they said ceremonies could not hold or held with few in attendance as there were restrictions of movement, no large gatherings and other laid down rules by the government.

A business woman, Hajiya Mariam Lambo, said that residents had learnt many things during the lockdown, which included minimising resources and cutting cost.

She said that the residents had reduced the rate at which they pick clothes for ceremony, due to the lockdown restrictions.

"People now wear the clothes they have at home or buy what they can afford to attend occasions, especially now that most of the occasions are short and brief.

"Most people now use their house compounds or even sitting rooms for wedding, naming and other types of ceremonies.

"This form of ceremony cost less, as there are few people to cook for, and less varieties of food and assorted meats and drinks.

"No more buying uniform materials (aso ebi), nothing like attending ceremony for three days with different clothing and preparing different delicacies," she said.

Mrs Bimbo Adeoye, a stockbroker, said that the lockdown had taught people how to spend less on unnecessary things and invest more on reasonable things that would bring more progress to their families.

"Many people have started buying lands, properties and investing in housing estate, with strong belief that they are investing in their father's land," she said.

Adeoye said that the lockdown had also increased patronage of local products, adding that some people that normally shop abroad, now have no choice than to buy the available local products.

"There are people complaining of low patronage, but there are still people making profitable sales during this lockdown, and they are optimistic of continuous sales," she said.

Dr Lawal Ayinla, a Lecturer, said that with all the things learnt during the lockdown, many people would turn a new leaf and live a responsible life, away from spending lavishly.

He said that many civil servants have started engaging in other things to earn a living, and even after the lockdown, they would like to continue, only adjust their schedules. (NAN)