By Abdu Rafiu
Nigerians hardly discuss their weather. What is there to discuss? The sun shines—what in other lands is cause for back slapping and celebration. Here, the appearance of the sun is given. It is taken for granted that we do not know how or remember to give thanks for it. In the same way as we treat our body—we do not ask questions until it starts to ache—we do not want to pay attention to our weather until our planes are unable to land and perhaps Kainji dam bursts and neighbouring villages are dislocated. Once planes take off and land, and there is no cerebro spino-meningitis threatening, we are confident that harmattan and its products –dusts and haze—are clearly out of sight, safely barricaded outside our climatic belt, we go to sleep. When the dry, enervating weather is on holiday in the Sahara Desert fringes, moisture-laden South-Westerly winds can have a field day, soothing and wetting the ground—causing grasses to sprout and deciduous vegetation to return to life and luxuriate.
Such is the predictability of our climate that as far as we are concerned, weather does not constitute any problem at all for us. We have had surprises, but aberrations, or so we would like to regard them. In the face of our experiences, it would amount to slumber or ostrichism to still think they are mere aberrations—experiences as recent as November last year when floods resulting from rains ravaged the land. This newspaper, The Guardian reported that more than 600 deaths occurred and over a million people were displaced. Vanguard newspaper quoting the Federal authorities did say the death toll rose to 612 before the raging waters calmed down. The Cable online newspaper put it nearly less darkly saying 31 out of the 36 states were under water for as of 20 November, reports said 34 out of 36 had been affected and 1.3 million people displaced, about 82, 035 houses had been damaged and 332, 327 hectares of land affected. And hold it: The World Health Organization categorized the 2012 flood disaster in this country as the worst in 50 years!
The British weather, customarily unpredictable, has become more unpredictable still. Some Nigerians, to whom the British weather can be said to be alien, told stories of cold, storms and floods on their return home for Christmas. The reports are confirmed by the official British Met blog which says the weather has been wet and windy and this will continue throughout this month and next month, February. But the official Met blog said the weather has been unusually mild overall, influenced by what has been described as warm air mass from the west coast of Africa. Indeed, the United Kingdom had the warmest year on record in 2022 even though the first two weeks of December were the coldest since 2010. Overall, however, the month will still be regarded as a cool month for the country with an average temperature of 2.9 degree Celsius, 1.3 degree cooler than the average from between 1991 and 2020. Much of Europe such as Denmark, Poland, and Czech Republic experienced their warmest January so far on record. “In Brest, Belarus, temperatures would normally be around 0 degree Celsius at this time of year, but reached a balmy 15.9 degrees Celsius on New Year Day, eclipsing its previous January record by a considerable margin. What’s note worthy about this event is how widespread it is as well as the amount previous records have been exceeded by Climate models projects that both the frequency and intensity of these warm weather events will increase in the future, not just in the summer but in the winter, too.”
North America was different and the temperature was very low as the weather was exceedingly cold. Canada and North America in general experienced snow and ice on a very high scale. All of this goes to demonstrate even to a carefree people that climate change is real, and getting worse. Hurricane Ian that swept through Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina from 23 September to 02 October was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane to hit Florida since the 1935, also causing extensive damage in Western Cuba. It travelled at 215 miles per hour (350 kilometres per hour). No fewer than 157 lives were claimed by it, 146 in Florida, five in North Carolina, one in Virginia and five in Cuba. Losses of more than $50 billion were recorded. According to reports, Fort Myers Beach and Naples were so hard hit that millions of inhabitants were left without power and many people rushed to their roofs for safety. Two communities were in fact uprooted.
Thirty years ago, about eight persons were feared drowned when a hurricane travelling at 115 miles per hour swept, in a typical heavy rain, through Britain. In 1987, the speed of similar strong winds was put at 101 miles per hour. At the time, the hurricane was described as the worst in 200 years. Earlier in February of 1990, winds moving at 70 miles per hour wrought devastation and misery to many homes. All these are further evidence of a worsening situation. It brought down power lines and fell trees across rail lines. There were deaths. It was such that Prince Charles, as he then was, interrupted his holiday in Switzerland. The European Commission rushed in 325, 000 Pounds Sterling in aid of the victims.
In a matter of this nature, in the past scientists did not usually agree. This has changed considerably, although they still argue on C02 and whether or not the sun is to blame for everything. While some acknowledge the fact that the earth is getting warmer, they deny that Co2 is the main cause; it is the sun that is to blame. Some blame the oceans. About 30 years ago, a scientist, Gustara Flaubert, argued that there was nothing extra-ordinary in weather experiences. He blamed concern on the ignorance of history “which makes us to slander our own times. Things have always been like this.. At the time he had a witness in Professor Hubert Lamb, of climate research whose works revealed that the experiences had repeated themselves every 100 years.” There had been, for example, he argued, similar to the experiences in Britain that year “storms and flooding in 1590, 1690, 1790 and 1890. We are in 1990.” Scientists also say that every 11 years, atomic particles pour into what has been described as upper atmosphere and that its effects bring about weather changes. Science reporters are hardly persuaded with the explanations, theories and excuses or plain jargon giving the assurances that all is well when the facts stare everyone in the face.
What I am getting at is that everyone, political gladiators in particular as Nigeria is rehearsing to move into a new phase of experiencing in a few months, should take more than passing interest in climate change. The flood disaster of October and November last year is loud enough trumpet of what may be lying ahead in the near future in this land. And goodness, we are living in an age of enlightenment, and mankind will have themselves to blame if they do not seek the right knowledge which incidentally is available on the face of the earth today. It leaves no gaps in the explanation of automatic mechanism governing life. Is it not possible that there are other correlations of life whose manifestation for which we only find scientific titles?
There is a great star, for example, that is revealed to be heading towards this universe, travelling in a straight line. It is going to be much more powerful than Harley’s Comet which visited this universe in 1986. When its rays encompass the earth, the earth will quake. Its power will suck up water and dry up the land and cause unimagined weather changes and catastrophes which will last for years. Is it not possible, on deep reflection to sense that the world is entering the remotest periphery of its influence and that the closer it gets to us the greater its effects which will include all manner of changes, weather, etc? By the way, shortly after Harley’s Comet came calling for the first time this century, the world was convulsed in a revolution which saw the birth of socialist states. A cycle was closing: The Comet made its last visit this century in 1986. Less than five years after, the iron curtains came crashing down! All these should be sufficient pointers that there are beyond the earthly correlations beckoning for the deep reflection of mankind in the New Year.
Femi Otedola’s Hour Of Happiness
My attention has been drawn to a report of the day the renowned businessman, Femi Otedola, found the meaning of happiness, what really true happiness means. The enthralling post forwarded to me by my friend, Mazi Uso Aninye, reads:
“I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in Heaven, I will be able to recognise you and thank you once again,” so said a deeply touched and appreciative kid said to him upon receiving a wheelchair donated to him by Otedola..
“When Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola in a telephone interview, was asked by the radio presenter, ‘Sir, what can you remember made you a happiest man in life?’ Otedola said:
“I have gone through four stages of happiness in life and finally I understood the meaning of true happiness.” The first stage was to accumulate wealth and means. But at this stage I did not get the happiness I wanted.
“Then came the second stage of collecting valuables and items. But I realised that the effect of this thing is also temporary and the luster of valuable things does not last long. Then came the third stage of getting big projects. That was when I was holding 95% of diesel supply in Nigeria and Africa, I was also the largest vessel owner in Africa and Asia. But even here I did not get the happiness I had imagined.
“The fourth stage was the time a friend of mine asked me to buy wheelchairs for some disabled children. Just 200 kids. At the friend’s request, I immediately bought the wheelchairs. But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children. I got ready and went with him. There I gave these wheel chairs to these children with my own hands. I saw the strange glow of happiness on the faces of these children. I saw them all sitting on the wheelchairs, moving around and having fun. It was as if they had arrived at a picnic spot where they were sharing a jackpot winning. I felt REAL joy inside me. When I decided to leave one of the kids grabbed my legs. I tried to free my legs gently but the child stared at my face and held my legs tightly.
“I bent down and asked the child: Do you need something else? The answer this child gave me not only made me happy but also changed my attitude to life completely. The child said: “I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in Heaven, I will be able to recognise you and thank you once again.”
Presumably comments came from those who may have come across the post. One goes as follows: “What would you be remembered for after you leave that office or place? Will anyone desire to see your face again where it all matters?
“This is a must read piece. It got me thinking. I am sending it to all my friends. I pray it does same to everyone.”
Mazi Uso Aninye comments:
“Well, without meaning to take away and diminish the great merits or the positive import of the writing, I will like to consider it from a spiritual dimension—for proper absorption.
“There are many reincarnations of a man into Gross Material World. So it is the spirit that would be recognizing each other at Home, Paradise, and it would be automatic. Therefore, there would be no looking out for any face, as each person would have had different faces at each incarnation. All the same we should go ahead doing good deeds for it is Creation that would reward you, for your good deeds, to the minutest detail whether or not the faces of the doer of the good or the beneficiary are recognised by the other. The child as a recipient of a great help had spoken from the depth of his soul.
“Great is the perfection of His Laws in His Creations—to the minutest details.
“Gloria tibi Domine! Glory to the Lord always. Amen.’”
The essence of the message to everyone is unmistakable: What makes a happy man: Goodness and nobility of spirit.
The Guardian
