‎​The 'other' side of christmas: it is not usually about Jesus Christ and His birth. He was born poor in a stable He shared with the animals. This 'other' christmas is a celebration of ourselves and probably our achievements. The trail of bb display messages easily gives that away. This alternative narrative provides us an escape route for the crushing reality we face in the country. We find some kind of refuge in ourselves in the true sense of man as the measure of all things. It's a short term therapy, though. For those of us lucky, it affords us the opportunity to show off our shares of the national cake. For the unlucky ones, it either antagonises them against the lucky ones or strengthens their resolve to participate in the future sharing of the national cake by hook or crook. In so doing, we inadvertently perpetuate the same value system that we bemoan. It is a Christless christmas devoid of authentic reflection and meditation on the purpose of life and the humanity of Christ. It is rather filled with the emptiness of vain glory laced with debauchery, drunkenness, and envy. It epitomises the rich man in the Bible who said "Let's party and merry today, for tomorrow we shall all die". It is an opportunity to display our stolen and ill-gotten wealth. We pretend that all is well on a borrowed culture of materialistic consumption. The downtrodden moan and we merry on their graves. We turn away like the Omelas, with the false hope that we could buy our way to heaven through 'tite', as we buy our way in Nigeria through corruption. This is an alternative account of christmas in Nigeria. A narrative many will prefer not to hear. Permit me to leave you with this question: "What would Christ had done on a Christmas?" Peace perfect peace, as the struggle for our emancipation from the dark forces of bad and wicked governance continues! Just the other side of the story. Merry Christmas! By Kenneth Amaeshi (25/12/11)