The wise prevent flood disaster
By Theo Adebowale
|
August 31, 1980 was Sunday. We worshipped at The Apostolic Church, Ire-Akari Ode Oolo, Ibadan. Later that afternoon, some youths from the church left for Yemetu to attend a programme. As evening approached the clouds started to gather, then the rain. It fell slowly and got prolonged. Then the flood started to threaten Ogunpa bridge. As darkness enveloped the land, many retired to bed. The rain continued, there was no storm, no wind, just the rain. By midnight some buildings by Ogunpa River bank had been eroded by water. By Monday September 1, the whole of Ibadan had been thrown into mourning. Chief Bola Ige, state Governor wept bitterly.
The floods had come. Many lives had been washed away. Many got to know the definition, nature and capabilities of a flood. When the National Meteorological Agency predicted the coming of floods everyone who knows what flood means, knew too well that disaster was in the offing. A local proverb states that a wise lame person ordinarily does not fall victim of a war predicted and publicized. Nigerian citizens living by river banks and coast lines watched helplessly as floods washed many away. Not only that, several others are still adamant insisting: nothing shall separate them from their flood threatening residence. In Akungba, Akoko area of Ondo State, there were reports that several landlords forbid officials of Urban and Regional Planning Unit for evicting them from their death traps.
Suicide bombers appear more rational than these characters. At least those ones look up to a mansion on the other side where they would have wine, women, pleasure, aplenty. Not so with those resisting the floods even having witnessed the washing away of neighbours and seasoned swimmers. And governments? They do not seem motivated enough to enforce relocation. The paternalistic instincts of government are aflame here only when it can rake in revenue. The Federal Road Safety Corps officials effect arrest of private motorists that fail to fasten seat belts while commercial vehicle drivers do not only have no use for belt. They are also at liberty to overload their vehicles.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers is well equipped to take care of interest of members on a regular basis. Back to those waiting patiently for the floods to come and carry them from their property, it seems governments just want it on record that it attempted to relocate them but they resisted. There are no facilities in place for their accommodation or upkeep. A public official even remanded Nigerians a couple of days ago to not think of what their great country can do for them but rather of what they can do for their dear country.
Even service providers like communication companies subscribe to the philosophy. For absence of network, subscribers pay without service delivery. Data subscription for one month terminates after three days. Electricity consumption? Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, fails to supply energy for weeks while its officials come around with outrageous estimated bills, and sends out query to prepaid meter customers to explain why they should not be disconnected for under consumption! What to do for the country!
Transport is another major concern in the land. Federal roads among others connect state capitals. Perhaps the provision is to ensure national unity, and it is unfortunate that that is far from being realised. Honourable Minister for Works and Transport just last week pronounced that the roads were not as bad as being claimed. The barrister has nothing to do in those areas where roads have failed. Given the enormous tasks before him, the road is not an option for him in his journey through the length and breadth of Nigeria. Remember it is when the clouds are full the heavens release the rain. It is so with the former and the latter rains’. In those days, all manners of garbage were dropped on the pathway of Ogunpa River, the clouds were gathering. Since the floods, we can see amphibian equipment which could have cleared the debris that gathered on the waterways.
Clouds of road failure, power outage, poor service delivery are gathering. When the clouds are full, blackmail, detention, disobedience of court ruling could be incapable of diverting the cascade. Rain makers are well known to politicians and event managers, who also know that there are no clearing houses for them. It is a simple action to apprehend Sowore and prevent the proposed protest of RevolutionNow#, not so with millions of Nigerians who need to have evidence that government cares. When they are told that their roads are not as bad as publicized, a cloud forms. When BEDC decides to keep them in darkness perpetual, another cloud forms, when the clouds are full, there is danger of a flood disaster. In the face of various challenges confronting government, it must make a duty of communicating with citizens instead of detaining protestors. Government must seek to know what the people think of its policies, personnel and projects. Only last week FRSC sector commander for Ogun was lamenting the attitude of members of the public to the death of some officers. The crowd was going to hold the corps responsible for the accident and lynch the officers. Customs officers were alleged to have driven dangerously killing some pupils in the border areas of Ogun State. Because of the attitude of government officials and agencies, citizens cannot see how their official assignments relate to their well being.
Public officials who dispossess nationals of neighbouring countries of savings from their sweat cannot reasonably persuade their countrymen to help check activities of non-citizens. But much more, impunity, arrogance and official high handedness alienate citizens from government while the aftermath goes to form a cloud. Blocked canals and waterways result in erosion and flood disasters. They have washed away thousands of Nigerians this year alone. This is a wakeup call to government to be proactive on matters concerning the welfare of citizens, which calls for synergy between ministry, departments and agencies. If meteorology agency predicts flooding, agency in charge of emergency must naturally prepare to minimize effects of such disasters. Prosecution of officials who aid and abet violation of urban and regional planning, or town planning generally resulting in flood disasters would reduce the clouds gathering against public policies and officials.
It is in the interest of governments at council, state and federal levels to take preventive measures against flood disaster in the future. This way, they would be deflating the storm gathering against inefficiency and impunity. Total war against corruption is inevitable to abort the gathering floods. Mr President warned about 5 years ago that if we did not kill corruption, corruption would kill Nigeria. When any group succeeds in keeping a house divided against itself, that house is under the onslaught of corruption, preparing a field day for corruption practitioners. Except the stakeholders recover from lethargy fast, they would be swept away by the flood. Ado Ekiti is a place to check it out. Following destabilization of a rock uphill there was a bang. Residents ran outside to discover the rolling rock. Before their own eyes, their buildings were crushed. If only we could go to the mountain top to seize the saboteurs and clear the canals, and free the waterways, flood disasters in our political space also would disappear.