I was
with a couple of friends in Ghana for a vacation. It was a good time, all rosy
and tremendous fun. To cap the two week long holdiay, we paid a visit to a
rocky beach, Labadi precisely. On arrival at the beach, we began
exploring the beach and taking pictures when someone discovered a really cool
spot for pictures – looked like something TuFace shot a video on.
It was a lone rock; a very, tiny island, you could
wade through waist deep water or jump from the shores to get to - we
immediately began to do that. Some of us were on the rocks taking poses and
baring white teeth while, others took pictures from the shores, suggestions
going back and forth between amateur photographers and expert “photographeds”,
when it happened.
I found myself deep in chilling cold saltwater,
performing what can be best described as a scramble for the surface, I was
successful and upon drawing the first breath of fresh air, another wave swept
over me, sucking me back in again. The receding waves tried to take me out to
sea, but that lone rock served as barrier, so I kept slamming my back against
it till somehow I touched dry sand.
Thankfully, we all survived, casualties been gadgets,
clothing etc. Whenever I recall that event, I ask myself how it was possible
that no one saw the waves approaching or whatever it was that swept us into the
water. This is only one of the numerous questions I ask, and its being two
years that incident occurred.
Today marks a week, seven days that we lost several
lives to an ocean surge at Kuramo beach, some found, others still lost in the
sea’s bowels. They were residents and occupants
of the various shanties that are prevalent on Lagos beaches. There is no
certain number to the number of people lost, as there are varying numbers and
stories coming from the media.
Ocean surges occur at least thrice a year, I wonder
why this is the first time it’s tragic. What went wrong? “An ocean or storm surge is an
offshore rise of water associated with low pressure weather system. The surges
are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean’s surface. The wind
causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea level. Low pressure at
the centre of a weather system also has a small secondary effect, as can the
bathymetry of the body of water. It is the combined effect of low pressure and
persistent wind over a shallow water body, which is the most common cause of
storm surge flooding problems.”
“Though nine bodies have so far been recovered
and confirmed by NEMA officials while others, as claimed by residents were
still missing, the ocean surge at Kuramo Beach and other areas of Lagos was
natural phenomena while the human casualty could be blamed on carelessness of
people living too close to the danger of coastline when early warning alerts
were raised by appropriate authorities on the effect of climate change and
global warming.”
The above paragraph is a part of the report presented by
the National Emergency Management (NEMA) in a report it compiled on the conclusion of its
investigation. The agency sounded a note of warning saying that more
beaches might be affected by wave tide. They also said the cause of the surge was natural
disaster while human casualty (people who live in shanties close to the shores) was
man-made. So, PDP and CAN can stop bickering
and work on a way forward.
My thoughts are no longer on the miracle I experienced
but rather, the questions have only increased anytime I think of it, blame
looking for where to be placed. Where were all those men you find in swimming
trunk loitering around the shores? Why did Sallah have to be marred by such?
Did the disaster have to happen? As a nation, we certainly can’t cope with
natural disasters, considering we’ve managed to create and unfold some on
ourselves, with others waiting to happen.
These questions will always linger, some of them never
to be answered. So, I can only hope and pray for the families and friends of
the bereaved, may God grant them strength to bear their loss, grace to heal and
recover, and the courage to carry on with life even as their beloved ones rest
in His bosom.
Source
Vanguard Newspaper
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