Sometime last week, I was on my way from the Island heading to the Mainland, and due to the ongoing repairs of the Third Mainland Bridge, had to pass through an alternative route. The site that greeted me was scary to say the least. True, it had rained all day the day before, and hence, the water level of the Lagoon was unusually high. Still, the thought that if I could get down from the moving vehicle and lean over the edge of the Bridge with my hand stretched, I may have touched the water sent cold chills through my body – although I had the thought the whole time, I couldn't even take a picture.
Nigerians are regarded as happy people, perhaps, this is as a result of their unrivalled religiousness. I mean, when you think some supreme being is going to take care of all your troubles and worries, you focus on other issues such as being joyful and happy. Also, this religiousness has left us inactive, almost to a point of paralysis – something bad happens and instead of taking action, we only sympathize and silently pray away calamity from our doorsteps. Give it some time, and then the jokes/funny stories begin to make the rounds.
That’s the way we are, that’s how Nigerians roll. Hence, we have gone from the situation in the picture on the left to somewhere in the picture on the right (or even worse). Just last night, I was reading online of four farmers in Kogi State who committed suicide – the floods had washed away their crops; crops for which they had secured loans to buy seedlings from which they grew, hence, their debt had doubled, and our situation as a nation as gone critical, as we’ve lost all these food (rice self-sufficiency for next year is history) and now, we losing the farmers too. As if, rural urban migration isn’t doing enough.
The figures and stories are dire, littered all over the internet, our newspapers and televisions. The death toll is anywhere between 130 and 148, considering whose source you believe. Those displaced range between 60,000 to 120,000. I cannot begin to quantify rice, maize and other food crops that have follow water, literally, let’s just say a lot of people are going to be hungry next year. Also, it’ll be vain if we began to speak about houses, cars, furniture etc. that were lost. I mean, who needs all these so far you’ve got life? Neither do we expect to host the hippos (really?) and crocodiles I hear are now visitors.
So, the flood (worst in 50 years) has burst in our faces, what are we doing to mop it up. Thankfully, the government and its agencies/bodies have begun to take serious action, a summary of which was in the President’s national broadcast of Tuesday, October 9. We’ll discuss this in detail in another post but let me just say this, I’d rather the government (us too) start taking preventive drugs than this curative ones.State governments have being working hard - Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Rabi’u Kwankwaso of Kano State and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State are some ofthem. We, I expect more.
Also, it gladdens my heart to see the help flowing in from other Nigerians towards those affected, maybe, my diagnosis of paralysis might be false after all. Aliko Dangote, TY Danjuma Foundation, Ashaka Cement, Mouka Foam, the Nigerian Red Cross, groups on Facebook, individuals on Twitter and all those who have offered help and are still doing in their own little ways and secret corners. We, I thank you. This is a call to others, nothing is too small, let’s help our brothers and sisters – go online and donate, send those old clothes, make that call to a friend or relative living in an affected area, do something!
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