Each new year, Nigerians usually resolve to overcome one negative habit or the other. PAUL OKAH in this report speaks with a cross-section of Nigerians on their resolutions and expectations for 2024.
Smoking, drinking addiction
My New Year resolution is to overcome many things I am addicted to, including excessive smoking and drinking. As we approached a new year, I asked myself questions as regards to some of the things I was doing or addicted to. I knew they were too bad and I needed to stop or control them in 2024.
With constant effort, I know I will overcome them. I have been opportune to see someone who was very addicted to cigarettes. That is, he was a slave to cigarettes, even when he almost lost his life to it. To cut it short, doctors advised him not to smoke again, for the benefit of his health, but he decided to sneak to do that; at the detriment of his health. In the end, he died untimely.
Besides, as an individual, you need to make a decision now that in 2024 you will not be a slave to anything or addicted to anything bad. Make a decision to put a control to those things you know you do that contribute nothing good to your health, finances, etc. Be in charge of what goes into your body. You don’t drink because there is a free drink. Drink when you think it is appropriate. You don’t remove your zip always because a woman is seductively giving you signals.
This new year, be principled. Don’t go for anything that will destroy your value. Rather, keep adding value by being in charge of what you do, what you eat. Many lose their jobs because of one addiction or the other. Besides, how do you leave where you’re working like three to four times daily only for one addiction and expect to remain relevant within the working environment? Be in charge of yourself, Be intentional. Control and manage your addictions as we approach 2024.
…Peter Kelechi Mba, entrepreneur
More savings
In this 2024, my new year resolution is to save more money than I spend. I had too many projects and things I had planned to achieve last year, but they didn’t materialise. This is because I was spending more money than I wanted to save on women, drinks and other things. It was as if I couldn’t control myself as I really engaged in excessive spending.
At the end of the year, I couldn’t point to any visible or concrete achievement to justify my working hard to earn a living. Therefore, my resolution this year is to save more and spend less. I have already started it by avoiding many social gatherings and keeping to myself. If I repeat the life I lived last year, then I don’t see any progress other than staying in the same place year in, year out. It won’t make sense as an individual to just be there without any remarkable achievement. That’s that about me.
I can say that 2023 was not favourable to me and many people for many factors. Therefore, I expect many favourable things, especially from the government. For instance, the fuel subsidy removal truncated many things. It led to the increase in prices of goods and services. It caused hyperinflation. Many people were thrown back into poverty, whereas the government was ironically saying it wanted to take millions of Nigeria out of poverty. You can’t reconcile that.
If 2024 is to be better than 2023, we expect the price of fuel to come down. The fuel price must be reduced for the suffering of the average Nigerian to be reduced. If not, things will continue going from bad to worse. I know we have a listening president and he will look into the expectations of Nigerians because the suffering is just too much and things are getting out of hand.
…Attahiru Musa, legal practitioner
Women issues
I am not ashamed to tell you that my new year resolution this 2024 is to stop womanising. If possible, I have to stop every relationship with women this 2024 because women have really rendered me poor because of excessive demand and my trying to satisfy the demands of about five different women.
Over the years, I have been able to date many women because of my good looks and good job. I can’t seem to say no as many of them were even the ones approaching me and giving me different signs that always ended in our dating. Some even did abortion for me when they found out they were not the only ones or that I didn’t have any plans of settling down with either of them. Therefore, I want to change the lifestyle of too many women because it’s physically and financially draining. I can no longer withstand the constant fight when one girl meets another in my apartment.
I plan to relocate and have already changed phone numbers to have a moment of peace in life. It will be a good thing to concentrate on my job and avoid women for now. Though it will be difficult, it’s not entirely impossible for me because I need to get my life in balance and progress in life. The many women I have associated with are only after good times: Money, drinks, sex and other things that add nothing to my growth.
With the desperation of many of them to tie me down with pregnancy, I think it’s time to move on if I am to succeed in life. If they had anything to offer, the situation would have been different, but many of them lack brains or enthusiasm for anything other than to party, have good time, sex and all that, which is why I said I will not continue that way this 2024, otherwise I’ll end up not achieving anything in life.
…Tony Anayo, civil servant
