Have you noticed that at many Owambe parties these days, musicians don’t get sprayed? This is the effect of the change in Naira design. Before now, many socialites always look forward to attending parties at weekends. This has become a norm that has come to stay with many people.
They look forward to attending wedding ceremonies, burial, birthday parties anniversaries, dedications and so many others. Many are really into the owambe parties, so much that there’s basically nothing that can stop them from storming different owambe’s every weekend to celebrate with their friends, neigbours, families and others. To most of them, it is often a way to repay debt of gratitude. Take for example, a friend who once supported their own party with his or her presence and also with cash, they see it as important for them to return the favour.
These owambe parties are also means of relieving ourselves and breaking the stress attached to the week days. So, with this, many are always looking forward to attending owambe parties, standing out in their well designed Aso-Ebi.
In the last few weeks, scarcity of cash and fuel scarcity have affected owambe parties in Lagos greatly.
First and foremost a lot of vendors were unable to deliver services, due to terrible network service. A situation whereby a client pays 60 percent of the total money charged, and at the end of the day, the transfer gets stuck in the bank. Both vendors and the clients don’t have access to their money due to the terrible bank network, and this in the end results into a big problem, as the vendor is unable to render the service paid for.
The whole crisis started with fuel scarcity, which began towards the end of last year.
And as usual, many predicted it will last for two weeks or there about, but it’s been months now, there’s serious hike in fuel prices, and unending queues at the filling station.
Though this affected a lot of party lovers, but it didn’t stop them from still attending their owambes every weekend, like they usually do.
Many thought it would be a matter of weeks but indefinitely were surprised as weeks rolled into months and no one is sure of when the whole drama will end.
Just when people were still struggling with the fuel scarcity issue, the change of the old naira notes into a new one came and caused many hardship that no one ever planned for. There was deadline for submission of old notes, and very limited new notes were put in circulation.
This hit harder, far more than the fuel scarcity. Scarcity of naira made many celebrities postpone their parties indefinitely. As we all know, spraying money at parties is no doubt one of the highlights of owambe parties. A lot of guests look forward to that, as musicians sing their praises, they in return spray the musician to stupor. A lot of society bigwigs at times compete with one another at parties with the amount of money they decide to spray.
Some society babes often believe they can make double of what they invested in their parties from the money guests spray them at the party. The naira scarcity has made all these history now, as money is being sold at a ridiculous amount at parties now, and due to this, guests can not spray the amount they desire.
The musicians are also not making much like they used to due to the scarcity of naira.
Now at parties, they take every 10 minutes to announce their account details to guests, who desire to give them money. And this can never be compared to the old tradition of standing in front of a musician and spraying him, as he sings your praise.
Most event planners who plan over 10 parties within a week before, struggle to get at least 3 parties to plan in a week.
The scarcity of money has affected all aspects of life, and it is worse because no money is available in banks and ATM machines, and POS are charging exorbitant amounts, and this has led to frustration of the masses. Both the rich and poor are affected and complaining bitterly.
It is so terrible that many may not recover from this terrible experience, and many businessess are already shut down.
Another fun aspect of Owambe party is the dancing and spraying of the celebrants, friends and musicians, which is now difficult to achieve due to naira scarcity.
Most market women have opted for the sitting at home option, since they can’t get physical cash to run their daily business.
The zeal to go for owambe has reduced drastically as many can not even afford three square meals, and some who are directly affected, have extended families, who are seriously affected with the state of economy, and have decided to pause and wait for things to be sorted out so they can enjoy life again as it used to be few months ago.
Lets not forget that some musicians do perform at friend’s parties for free, as their own way of contributing to the event, and also believing that, even if they are not getting paid for the job, they will still make good money from guests spraying them at the party. But this is not achievable now, due to the naira scarcity. Though, some celebrants now introduce their own personal bills strictly for that party alone, and can be converted to the acceptable money afterwards, it still can not be compared to the old way of spraying at parties.
