As the year 2024 kicks out the bygone year 2023 with its storms of different calamities, frustrations, happiness, stress, hunger, failures, and many more that were associated with it, Newsline Newspapers went around Minna town to find out the expectations of the general public for the new year 2024, and here are the excerpts:
Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, a trader, said the year 2023 wasn't easy at all, but despite that, he thanked God for giving him the strength and good health to overcome all the calamities that it brought. “My prayers for the new year are that God should accept our prayers and make the year 2024 far better than 2023.
“Alhaji Abubakar said people are suffering, especially in terms of what to eat. May our leaders feel pity for us and make the new year a special one that everybody will enjoy to the last”, he said.
Mary Obonna, a businesswoman, said her new year resolutions are many, but it is only God who will make them reality for her.
Mary went on to say: “I want my business to prosper this year. I thank God, but there is still a long way to go because life now is far more expensive than it used to be.
“I wish to have my own apartment this year because house rents have tripled from what they used to be. These are a few of my new year resolutions, and I pray God should make it easy and possible for me within this year, 2024”.
Abdullahi Shehu, a motorist said: As a Muslim, I do my resolutions every day five times in a day. I tell God what I want and keep on reminding and thanking him from the beginning of the year until the end of the year. And that is what I always do, years in and years out”.
Shehu also said our leaders should please come to our aid because people are suffering. He added that they should give this year special attention that will put smiles on the common man's face.
Abdullahi also pointed out that “parents should please keep an eye on their children; they should monitor what the children are doing both at home and in school in order to prevent and protect them from joining bad groups”.
Usman Umar, a civil servant, said “my new year resolution is nothing more than praying to see that the new government has adjusted our pay package. We, the civil servants in Niger State, cannot afford to pay our children's school fees and, at the same time, eat two square meals, not three as it's meant to be.
“This year, I hope and pray that the Niger State Government should put the health sector in order for the masses to benefit and be able to pay for the services because people are suffering and dying for not being able to pay for hospital bills.
“Lastly, I pray God should see us through both Muslims and Christians with other religions we have and make things easy for us in 2024” he said.
Habiba Suleiman: graduate, said “year after year unemployment is increasing. I have been praying for the past five years for an appointment, but all in vain. So are other unemployed graduates within the nation, but I strongly believe God will make things easy for me this year 2024 and will give me different job opportunities that I have to choose for myself, not just anything that would be given to me.
“Also, our leaders should please do something about unemployed youths in 2024; it doesn't have to be office work; it can be skills acquisition in order to reduce the redundancy of our youths. They said an idle mind is the devil's workshop.
“Our leaders should please do something about unemployment this year to reduce crimes and increase job opportunities for youths in Nigeria in 2024”.