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Tag: rains

  • NiMet predicts localised rains, thunderstorms on Sunday

    NiMet predicts localised rains, thunderstorms on Sunday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted localised rains over the central cities of Ilorin, Bauchi, Yola, Abuja and environs on Sunday morning.

    NiMet made this known in the daily Weather Outlook produced by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Saturday in Abuja.

    It added that thunderstorms were expected over the region later in the day with day and night temperatures in the range of 23 to 29 and 17 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    The agency predicted that southern states would experience morning cloudy conditions over the inland of the Southeast and Southwest with high chances of rains over the coastal cities.

    It also predicted localised rains over the region later in the day with day and night temperatures in the ranges of 26 to 29 and 21 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, the Northern States will experience morning rains over Sokoto and Kebbi states, while cloudy conditions may prevail over the rest of the region.

    “Cloudy conditions are likely to persist into the afternoon/evening hours, with exception of Sambisa, where thunderstorms with day and night temperatures of 24 to 32 and 22 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively will occur .

    “With sufficient moisture in the atmosphere, most parts of the country are suitable for weather activities over the next 24 hours,” NiMet predicted.

  • Panic rises as rains pound Texas

    Panic rose yesterday as Harvey continued dumping rain on East Texas. The waters there continued to rise. People were rushing rescue boats and even shooting at them if they did not  stop, said one volunteer rescuer.

    Clyde Cain, of the Cajun Navy, a Louisiana-based rescue force that gained fame during Hurricane Katrina, said in one instance, a boat broke down, and while the crew sought shelter in a delivery truck, people tried to steal the inoperable boat.

    “They’re making it difficult for us to rescue them,” he said. “You have people rushing the boat. Everyone wants to get in at the same time. They’re panicking. Water is rising.”

    Because of the hostile responses, the Cajun Navy has been forced to halt some rescue attempts, Cain said.

    Keep track of Harvey

    “We have boats being shot at if we’re not picking everybody up. We’re having to pull out for a minute. We’re dropping an air boat right now to go rescue a couple of our boats that broke, and they’re kind of under attack,” he said.

    There is no indication the water will stop rising anytime soon. Swollen rivers in east Texas aren’t expected to crest until later this week, but federal officials are already predicting the deadly Tropical Storm Harvey will drive 30,000 people into shelters and spur 450,000 victims to seek some sort of disaster assistance.

    And yet, forecasters say, more rain is coming. Lots more.

    Harris County has had “six suspected flood-related deaths” since Harvey made landfall last week, said Tricia Bentley, spokeswoman for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The manners of death will be confirmed this week, she said. This brings the confirmed death toll to seven, which includes the previously reported deaths of a man killed in a fire in Rockport and a woman swept away in Harris County after exiting her vehicle in high water.

    The average annual rainfall in Houston is 50 inches. The city has seen 25 inches of rain in two days. Another 25 could fall by Saturday.

    Early tallies indicate at least 5,500 people have arrived at shelters in Houston and another 1,000 in Friendswood.

    Several cities, including Katy, Alvin, Friendswood, League City, Pasadena, Pearland, Seabrook and Webster, have instituted curfews.

    The Houston Independent School District has canceled school for the week for the district’s 215,000 kids.

    Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and possibly Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, are scheduled to tour the Coastal Bend region Monday.

    Dallas is opening a “mega-shelter” at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, but Mayor Mike Rawlings said, “We may have thousands upon thousands upon thousands of more individuals that will get bigger than this convention center.”

    President Donald Trump, who will visit Texas today, approved Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ request for an emergency declaration.

     

  • Coping with Lagos’ rains

    Now that the rains are fully here in Lagos, it is important to put certain things into proper perspective to enhance our understanding of related issues and most importantly intimate us with helpful safety tips. The first thing to consider is the topography of Lagos. A critical feature of Lagos topography is that it is essentially made up of low lying terrain up to 0.4 percent below the sea level. Naturally, this constitutes a huge drainage challenge for the state. If this is added to the volume of rain being experienced in the state lately, it might be really difficult to rule out flash flooding, especially in some areas.

    Second is the fact that experts across the world have made it clear, long before now, that the intensity of this year’s rains will be much more than what we had in the past. For instance, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier predicted “extended rains of three to eight days for areas in and around Adamawa, Ogun, Edo, Niger Delta and low-lying areas such as Lagos. Recent developments have, indeed, come to authenticate this position, especially with regards to the volume of rains being presently experienced across the country.

    Furthermore, it is important to emphasise that in-spite of government and other critical stakeholders’ preparedness at mitigating the effect of heavy downpour in the state, the impact might not be fully felt except the citizens totally shun negative practices that could promote flooding. For instance, some illegal waste agents being patronized by a few residents indiscriminately dump refuse in canals and large drainage channels.

    This often results in blockage of free flow of waste water, resulting in flash flooding whenever it rains. This is often rampant in markets and other commercial centres as well densely populated areas of the state. Often times, the effects of such poor sanitary habit on affected residents are unquantifiable and devastating. Some have been rendered homeless and miserable, no thanks to human induced environmental hazards. Thus, we all need to fully embrace the culture of proper waste disposal, comply with building regulations, tap into alternative energy use, and pay necessary attention to sanitation issues among others.

    In order to appropriately educate the citizens on proper means of coping during periods on intense rainfall, NGOs, Community Development Associations, the media, members of the Civil Society and all well-meaning individuals and groups in the state need to partner with the state government to achieve  the required attitudinal change towards the environment. At present, the state government is combining public enlightenment strategies to sensitize Lagosians on this development and had taken the time to proffer solutions so that the rains being currently experienced won’t have devastating effects on lives and property.

    Similarly, the state government has continued to vigorously pursue its policy on the environment in order to create and ensure a cleaner, healthier and sustainable environment that will promote economic growth and well-being of the citizenry. As always, the state government is committed to a cleaner environment and quality public health through implementation of community based solid waste management, flood control, vegetal control and high standard of home and personal hygiene, sanitation, control of environment pollution (air, water and noise), beautification and advertisement control. Consequently, its approach to tackling the issue of flooding in the state is multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. It includes dredging, massive construction and expansion of drainage channels, desilting and excavation of silts to dumpsites, regular repair, clearing and cleaning of drainages, canals and collector drains across the state.

    Whenever it is observed that the intensity of the rains is much, it is essential that people, especially children stay indoors to reduce movement to the barest minimum.  In fact, if it could be avoided, it is better not to drive while it is raining heavily.  Similarly, we need to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene at all times to avoid being victims of water borne diseases. Also, to mitigate the effects of cold, we must ensure that children and the elderly are properly clothed with warm clothing during the rains. It is only when this is done that we will be able to curb the spread of rain induced health hazard such as cough, cold and other related ones.  Additionally, this is the time to embrace the culture of taking plenty of thoroughly washed fruits in order to boost the immune system. This is in addition to drinking water from only trusted and well tested safe sources.

    Since we now live in a hi-tech information age, it is also imperative that people listen to news reports and information on weather situation from various available credible mediums. This will really aid in planning movements and avoiding flood prone locations. Also, in view of likely destructive thunder strikes that usually accompany windy rainfall, Lagos residents are strongly advised to always disconnect all electrical appliances whenever they want to sleep or go out. This will go a long way in checkmating rain induced electrical debacles. Similarly, children should be discouraged from touching electrical equipment when wet.

    In as much as it is beyond human powers to stop rains, being a natural phenomenon, we should, at least, do things that are in our powers to lessen the negative consequences of rains. This includes regular clearing of gutters and drainages in our areas, making use of suitable services to dispose waste, reporting anyone dumping refuse in drains, gutters and canals to appropriate authorities. We should consider moving immediately to higher ground when flooding is imminent wherever we are, staying away from submerged electricity cables, cleaning and disinfecting everything that gets wet, staying away from canals and drainages evacuating or leaving danger zones immediately, calling 767 in case of emergency among others.

    On a final note, it is essential that the federal government, through its relevant agencies, collaborates with states that have peculiar flooding challenges to determine areas of assistance. This must be done as a regular preventive measure and not after the havoc has been done. In as much as it is true that we cannot stop rainfall, together we can mitigate its effects.

     

    • Ogunbiyi is of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.
  • Flood: One rescued in a family of eight

    Flood: One rescued in a family of eight

    Floods hit many Nigerian cities after long hours of rainfall at the weekend. There were deaths. Homes were flooded.

    Eleven people died in Suleja and other towns in Niger State. Many parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were flooded.

    Residents of highbrow Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah in Lagos were yesterday waiting for the floods to recede. They were warned to vacate the flood-prone area because of the expected intense rains.

    Many parts of Lagos Island have been thrown into darkness because the floods soaked power facilities.

    Niger State was worst hit by the floods after five hours of rainfall. Nine people died in Checheniya and one in Kuala, Suleja. Another person died in Ayin-Nassarrawa in Tara Local Government Area of Niger State.

    Houses were submerged. Properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed in Kaltuma and Angwan Hearing in Suleja.

    Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Director-General Ibrahim Ahmed said two bodies were found, adding that search and rescue operation officials were at the site to recover the remaining bodies.

    He said the identities of the victims were yet to be ascertained, but confirmed that 11 people had been declared dead between  Saturday night and yesterday.

    Ahmed said: “As I am talking to you now, the search and rescue operation is going on and so far, two bodies have been recovered. Initially, we thought eight people were lost in Suleja but we received a report from the team that the number had increased to ten. We have one in Tara.”

    But the worst-hit areas include Kaduna Road through Bakin-Iku, Chanchania and Yaro College, Kantoma, Kuspa, Angwa Gwari, and Angwa Juma.

    Some buildings collapsed during the downpour, resulting in the death of some of the residents. Many were injured.

    Some residents, who tried to leave their submerged homes for safety, were swept away by the floods.

    Cars parked on the water ways were moved from their original positions.

    A resident of Bakin-Iku, Sani Gamko, said: “Many houses were affected by the flood. Some completely collapsed while only parts of some buildings collapsed.

    “I know of nine persons who were carried away by the flood and likely dead in Bakin-Iku community alone.

    “The local government chairman and some NEMA officials have already visited the community,” he added

    At the General Hospital in Suleja, an official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that nobody was brought to the hospital as a result of the rainfall.

    There were only two injured patients, she said. According to her, one of them is at the emergency ward.

    A Search and Rescue Officer of NEMA, Egrigba Micheal, told The Nation that the agency rescued a victim who has been rushed to the Suleja General Hospital.

    He said: “We got a call from our zonal coordinator, Mohammed Idris, that there was a flood in Suleja. So we quickly moved to Suleja. We have seen a lot of devastation the rain has caused. Many of the houses were submerged while some were completely rooted out. Many properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed.

    “There was one house that had eight people dead, although we didn’t see their bodies.

    “In a family of eight, only one person was rescued. But the other seven are still missing.

    “We will go back to write our report and submit to our boss. Certainly, tomorrow they will come back and do another assessment before there can be any relief. The rain was really devastating.” he said

    Chairman of Suleja Local Government Area Abdullahi Maje said 10 persons had been declared missing.

    He said: “The flood started around 12 midnight till this morning and affected more than 100 houses around Suleja Local Government Area, apart from Tafa local Government Area.

    “There are about 10 missing persons within Suleja that the flood took away. Three bodies have been found; we are still searching for the remaining persons dead or alive.

    “We have made a call to the Federal Government through NEMA. They responded quickly and came to Suleja and also the state management agency came in from Minna this morning.” he said

    Stressing that the rainf was an act of God, Maje promised that everything will be done to forestall damage to lives and properties

    Officials of the Eko Distribution Company (EKEDC) were battling to access their flood equipment to prevent an accident after the flood plunged Lagos Island – Nigeria’s financial and business honeypot,  whis is also the home of the rich and powerful – into darkness.

    General Manager, Corporate Communications, EKEDC Godwin Idemudia said in Lagos that the company was having challenges in almost all its injection substations as a result of the flood. According to Idemudia, some of EKEDC transformers have been submerged.

    He said the management had directed that transmission be “deloaded” in the affected areas for safety.

    He said the injection substations affected by the flood included Lekki Transmission Station, Agungi , Ademola and Anifowoshe.

    “Victoria Garden City, Waterfront, Maroko and Oniru Injection Stations are completely out.

    “We need to look at the extent of the effect of the flood on our equipment.

    “However, we are working round the clock to restore supply to our esteemed customers,” he said.

    Idemudia urged customers to show understanding over the outage.

    The Lagos government also urged calm and vigilance.

    Commissioner for the Environment Babatunde Adejare, who inspected the affected areas, allayed fears of residents. He said the government had activated its emergency response system to rreact efficiently where necessary.

    He said the floods would recede after a period of time. He attributed the cause to the high tide of the lagoon, slowing down the flow of rainfall water from drainage channels.

    “We are on top of the situation. The government is concerned by flooding in some parts of Victoria Island, Lekki, Oniru and its environs and our emergency lines 112 and 767 are open 24/7 for residents to report any emergency situation,” he said.

    Adejare urged residents “in the habit of dumping refuse indiscriminately, especially in drainage channels, to stop forthwith,” saying that engaging in such does not only portend health hazards, but could also lead to loss of lives and property.

    He said dumping refuse in drainage meant to take flood water to the lagoon blocked such channels and as such had dire consequences that could lead to loss of lives and properties.

    Adejare was concerned that despite the vigorous campaign by the government on the dangers of dumping refuse indiscriminately, some people still engaged in such acts.

    “The lagoon is swollen up. There is high tide, so it would lock on our outfalls; the water would not recede or go into the lagoon as fast as it used to be, so that’s one of the main reasons why we are having flooding all over the place and coupled with our own man-made problems such as people blocking the drainage channels, people even building on drainage channels; that’s what has also been causing all these problems.

    “That is a criminal thing to do; it is not good, their actions can lead to loss of lives and definitely to damage of properties; so they should stop it because it would affect some people adversely.

    “You do not need to dump refuse in drainage. Eventually we would come to pick them up and with our improved services through the reforms that we are carrying out, there would not be anything like that, we would be evacuating solid waste faster than we have done,” Adejare said.

    He said that the government was concerned about the safety of residents, hence the continuous call on those living in flood-prone areas to relocate temporarily pending when the rain recedes.

    “Like we have been telling them, if the rain still persists, please don’t go out of your homes, except you are living by the coast or by the low line. If you are one of those, you have to move upland, move away from the coast until the rain recedes. But if you are living upland and it’s raining persistently and it’s not necessary or compulsory for you to go out, please stay indoors.

    “If you also have contact with flood water, wash your hands always, whatever has been touched by the floodwater should not be eaten; it’s important,” Adejare said.

    The commissioner also assured residents that the ongoing reforms in the environment sector through the Cleaner Lagos Initiative would evolve a viable solid waste management system which would make the state cleaner and healthier for residents.

    Many homes in Ibadan were yesterday flooded by early on morning downpour.

    Although no death was recorded properties worth many millions of naira were destroyed after five hours of continuous rainfall.

    Many crop farms and fish ponds were said to have been swept away by the flood.

    Mostly affected by the flood are Odo-Ona Kekere, Arapaja, Akala Way and Gbekuba

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) blamed the flooding on the failure to obey town planning rules.

    The agency recommended demolition of structures built on waterways to prevent incessant flooding and loss of lives.

    The rain, which began around 11:00am, however, did not fall in some areas of the sprawling city even though it was heavy in the affected areas.

    In Odo-Ona Kekere, some houses on the river bank were flooded. Residents were forced out.

    A resident of the area, Funmilayo Olode, said that a river overflew its boundaries but did not submerge the bridge over it.

    “I just left my house now and realised that some houses were flooded because of the rain. Just after Odo-ona Kekere on the way to Arapaja, there is a river that flows across the road. There is a bridge over it at a point. Although the water did not flow over the bridge, houses close to the river on both sides were affected. I saw residents standing outside their houses,” said Olode.

    South-West coordinator of NEMA Yakubu Suleyman said he had yet to be informed by the state office of the agency.

    He said: “What is happening in Ibadan cannot be compared with the situation in Lagos. The Ibadan office has not notified me, which means that the situation is not out of hand there.

    “The state government is doing its bets but people do not obey planning rule.”

    Secretary of Oyo State Emergency Management Authority Akin Makinde confirmed the flooding in some areas, adding that there was no casualty.

    “There were cases of flooding in Akala area of Orita Challenge and some other areas. There is no casualty but we are still inspecting the areas.

    “The problem is that people built houses on water ways. The government is dredging the rivers but our people must help themselves,” Suleyman said.

  • 7 Tips for cleaning your closet ahead of the rains

    7 Tips for cleaning your closet ahead of the rains

    A new season is upon us, and we’re overjoyed to be exchanging our hot weather clothing for cooler ones. Thus, it’s the perfect time to organise your wardrobe, which can be harder than it sounds. To ensure success, first consider your goals: streamlining, storing hot weather items and incorporating a system to keep your box of style neat and accessible. Here, seven key steps are guaranteed to make the whole process easier and more bearable.

     

    Invest in good hangers

    Before you start, buy good-quality hangers that are thin but durable, such as durable plastic, wood, or huggable velvet options. These will instantly increase the amount of space in your closet and ensure your clothes stay in good condition and ensure no tugging or stretching of fabric takes place. It’s a worthwhile investment. Make sure to use the same type for all your clothes.

     

    Cleanse the wardrobe

    Detox your wardrobe by gathering everything you haven’t worn in the past six months or that you just don’t love anymore, then using the three-pile rule: toss, sell or donate. Discard shabby garments that are no longer wearable, sell pieces that are still fashionable and in good condition at  certain shops or online, and donate those that are no longer on-trend or of monetary value.

     

    Prioritise your pieces

    Now it’s time to start adapting your closet for the new season. Move your hot weather stuff along with affordable spring trends in the rainy season—toward the front as you transfer  non weather friendly items  to the back. Also keep transitional items like lightweight stuff and tees at the front so they’re easily accessible.

     

    Choose a system

    From there, pick a coveteur that works for you, whether that means coordinating everything by colour or garment type. To downsize and create more space, fold sweaters, roll tees and stack denim. Everything else? Hang it.

     

    Get creative with storage

    Accessories can take up a lot of room. Think of new ways to organise and store your shoes, bags, scarves and hats so they’re not just left untidily , keep them in dust bags or containers with labels or photos so you can quickly identify and grab what you want.

     

    Clean up

    With all those items, closets and drawers are bound to get dirty and dusty. Wipe down every surface, scatter mothballs on the floor and wardrobes, and make sure to disinfect!

  • Floods as 13 hours rains pound Lagos

    Floods as 13 hours rains pound Lagos

    •Properties destroyed

    Homes  and roads were yesterday flooded in many parts of Lagos as a 13-hour rain pounded the city.

    The Southwest witnessed one of the heaviest rains in recent times. It destroyed  properties worth millions of naira.

    From Osun to Ogun and Lagos states, the torrential rain, which started on Saturday night, lashed cities and towns non-stop.

    Many vehicles were stalled on the roads as parts of Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital, were flooded.

    From Ilasamaja to Ojuelegba, Mushin, Agege Motor Road, Iyana-Ipaja and Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, the roads were flooded.

    Residents of highbrow areas of Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah were not spared .

    Many houses in Surulere were flooded. Residents were seen scooping water out of their homes.

    Many commuters were stranded due to heavy traffic caused by the flood.

    Agege Motor road from Ladipo to Ikeja along was worst-hit.

    The intensity of the flood left many motorists in fears.

    Many of the property destroyed by the accompanying flood affected Lagos, more than other states but there was no report of death or of collapsed building, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), whose men were deployed across the state in response to emergency calls by citizens.

    LASEMA General Manager Michael Akindele, said the Agency’s Emergency Response Teams were sent out to assess the affected areas to avert worst disaster.

    He noted that the flood was accentuated by blockage of some of the major drainages in the affected areas advised Lagosians not to  panic but ensure they  clear the drainage in their neighbourhood to allow free flow of water.

    In its situation report, LASEMA said: “The Agency received several distress calls regarding flooding activities which seriously affected some areas in the state as a result of the heavy downpour that started last night (Saturday) at about 8.40 pm.

    “Several streets in Oworonshoki, Ifako,  Ikorodu and Lekki  axis were seriously affected by the heavy downpour.”

    “Many properties and items worth several millions of naira were also damaged, but no life was loss or collapse of any building.

    “The Affected street around the Oworo axis include: Fasas Ojomu,Ogunyomi, Aabiola, Akewusola, Adebanmwo, Unity, Oduduwa, Agberin, among others, While Hassan Street in Owutu (Ikorodu) and other areas were affected in the Ikorodu axis.

    In a statement, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment Dr. Babatunde Adejare, urged the people to remain calm saying that necessary steps had been taken to avert flood disaster.

    He said the government had in recent times carried out intensive tour of some flood prone communities in the state to clear blocked drainages and canals.

    The commissioner wondered why any right thinking person would be dumping refuse on water courses and drainages created for free flow of storm water, saying the numerous campaigns against such practice was in the interest of the residents.

    “Canal is a storm water channel for the conveyance of storm runoffs, they are God’s natural protection for holding water during massive flood and it is not a place for anybody to build a house or dump refuse. Those in the habit of doing such must stop henceforth,” Adejare said.

    He warned that the government would no longer tolerate the building of illegal structures along channel right of ways in the state.

    Adejare urged residents living on wetlands and flood prone areas to be cautious and careful, urging them to limit their movement if possible and to move to higher ground if need be.

  • NiMet predicts rainy, cloudy weather for Saturday

    NiMet predicts rainy, cloudy weather for Saturday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has predicted morning rains over Abuja, Lafia, Makurdi, Jalingo, Ibi and Mambilla Plateau on Saturday.

    The predictions are contained in the Weather Outlook issued by NiMet’s Central Forecast Office (CFO), in Abuja on Friday.

    It added that thunderstorms would prevail over Ilorin, Kaduna, Bida, Minna, Suleja and Lokoja in the afternoon and evening with maximum day time temperatures of 24 to 31 degrees Celsius.

    The agency predicted that morning monsoon rains would prevail over the coastal areas of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Yenagoa, Eket and Warri and the inland cities of the south-east.

    It also predicted that isolated rains and thunderstorms would prevail over the south-east and south-west in the evening with maximum day time temperatures of 27 to 29 degrees Celsius.

    NiMet further predicted that the northern states would experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions in the morning with afternoon and evening thunderstorms and day time temperatures of 28 to 32 degrees Celsius.

  • Rains may increase crop disease outbreak, losses

    Rather than help crops to grow, the rains may lead to their destruction this year, experts have warned.

    According to the experts, several plant diseases are more common during wet season.

    They said favourable conditions for infection and plant damage include wet and compacted soils.

    From findings, it has been confirmed that pathogens (disease causing micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses)  are widespread and persistent in field soils during the season.

    The experts said, seedling diseases could begin after the planting of the seed and  continue for several weeks. One clue is reduced emergence and other clues are seedling death, yellowing, or stunting. The problems, they said, might start when the soil is wet, although may be delayed a week or more after wet conditions occurred.

    Senior Lecturer, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Prof. Dan Gwary explained that seedling diseases occur as excessive rainfall and fluctuating temperature create excellent conditions for them.

    Gwary said wet and flooded soils produced after heavy rains are favourable for  soil borne, moisture-loving fungus and diseases.

    He said they damage seedlings and even mature plants. To prevent this, he advised farmers to check fields for seedling disease, and efficacy of seed treatments.

    A former dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, said  normal rainfall would be good, and more would be better, but too much at the wrong time could damage or kill certain plants.

    He said farmers are at risk when there is above-normal rainfall.

    He urged farmers not to expose their farms to floodwaters.

    He advised farmers to observe basic farm safety and sanitation practices to avoid nurturing platforms for the spread of diseases.

  • Late rains cripple farming

    Farmers  in the Southewest  are battling water shortage during the planting season – no thanks to late rains.

    The Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Mr Victor Olowe, cited small yams that have been harvested by farmers as evidence of the water problem.

    Farmers had complained of lack of rains, which affected  their early planting.

    The problems of farmers with climate change was visible in most part of the North and South where farmers are reviving their agricultural heritage.

    According to reports, farmers can only cultivate paddy, millet, beans and other commodities in the few areas of land due to late rains. Crops are limp,while livestock are struggling to find feeds as farmers anxiously await rains.

    Despite a reasonable start in the season, many crops are drying off from a lack of substantial follow-up rain.

    While it is not happening everywhere, farmers in the Southwest  are concerned with the problem.

    Observers believe productivity this year will be reduced drastically.

    The Provost, Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igbo Ora, Oyo State, Prof. Gbemiga Adewale, said bad weather could cripple harvests, adding that this could  affect food prices.

    He urged farmers to focus on tackling climate change, saying it is crucial to tackling miserable harvests.

    The resulting tight supplies of many feed grains could drive up the prices of agricultural commodities.

    Besides, livestock and poultry producers are lamenting the effects of smaller supply and climbing cost of feed.

    Vice President, Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria(ASBON),Mr  Stephen Oladipupo said this expense has become unmanageable as consequences is worsening on a daily basis. He  said the dramatic increase in the prices of animal feeds is giving poultry farmers problems.

    He warned that, without government action on the feed shortage, consumers and producers will experience devastating effects, from the farm to the meat aisle.

    He said that the costs of animal feed is getting higher by the day.

    However, the farmers cannot adjust the prices for poultry or cattle according to the rising input costs due to competing with imported products and the demand from domestic customers.

    Across the fisheries sector, fishmeal has become a “high-price” strategic marine protein. This follows increasing  local  demand for fishmeal, driven by the growth of the aquaculture industry — while supply is declining, prices are “naturally expected to rise.

    Operators say fishmeal is in short supply due shortage in key feed components. Clearly, with a volatile, but long-term declining supply and rising prices, local fish business operators are  rationing  the use of fishmeal and fish oil.

     

  • Bad times as rains pound Warri, others

    Bad times as rains pound Warri, others

    Anybody who has lived or is living in the Oil-City of Warri, the economic hub of Delta State, knows that the rainy season is not a good time. Inhabitants of the city and its twin, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, dread that time of the year when the heavens opened up incessantly, pouring oodles of water into the haphazardly laid city. The fear of the season also stems from the anguish, suffering, dirt and diseases that come with human feaces from overflowing septic pits pouring into the streets and living rooms.

    The state of roads, not only in Warri, but across parts of the state, has worsened over the past few months.

    Niger Delta Report’s extensive check on condition of roads in the areas showed that over 95 per cent of roads in Warri metropolis and adjoining suburbs are in dire need of repairs. Except for the recently dualised Refinery Road and network of roads in the Odogun (New) Layout in Uvwie, built by the Direct Labour Agency (DLA) and Okumagba Avenue in Warri among others, there is hardly a road in the area that is not fraught with fissures. The situation is worse in Abraka and not much better in Ughelli, Agbarho, Sapele and other parts of the state.

    The Airport Road is punctuated by dozens of potholes of varying sizes from Effurun-Warri junction to Court 4 and various sections are washed away by water. A pitiable attempt to resurface the road left residents and motorists seething from poor job done by the construction companies.

    The PTI/Jakpa road, which was dualised by the administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2009, is not faring any better. Apart from being cut off at the Sokoh Estate junction by an end-to-end cavern, the road built by Niger Cat Construction Company, is riddled with potholes around the Canewood Hotel, White House and several other sections and junctions.

    The story is the same for the Okere, Emebiren and Esisi roads as well as network of roads within the Marine Quarters, Ovie Palace, Sokoh Estate, Commissioner and several roads in the cities.

    Roads in Ubeji, a serene community in Warri South, are as pothole-ridden as their counterparts in the mainland. Traffics in and out of the one-access-road community are so knotty that it sometimes takes hours to navigate to the NPA expressway from the town – a distance of about one kilometer – during the rush hours.

    The federal roads in the areas are worse off. The Warri-Effurun-Sapele road has gone from being one of the best roads to the deadliest nightmares for motorists. The dual carriage road stretching from NPA to the Effurun roundabout is in ruin due to the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) initiative of the past government.

    The plan to expand the road in order to create an exclusive bus-only middle-lane hit a snag when the planners realised, late, that a further expansion is needed to increase the incoming and outgoing traffics to double lanes. Bus stops (built on the centre of the road) coupled with concrete barriers separating lanes have not only reduced the road, but have made driving a big test and a course in patience and control. A broken down vehicle (or tricycle) on the now one-lane can unleash chaos.

    The NPA Expressway is not faring any better. The nearly four-decade highway has withstood a lot – heavy duty vehicles, tankers loading products at the WRPC Depot and several other vehicles use it. But the road seems to be saying ‘enough is enough’. The constantly gathering pools of water from the Bypass and Ogunu area and other parts have started taking their toll. Traffic from the port complex to other parts are now diverted to the incoming lane to avoid the pits that have secretly crept in and taken over the road over the past years. The road has deteriorated further because of the stoppage of the routine maintenance usually done by the past administration.

    The expressway pours into the East/West Highway at Effurun roundabout in three branches: one going into Warri via Effurun; the other to and fro Benin and Port Harcourt (through Ughelli/DSC roundabout). The onward Port Harcourt road has also deteriorated these past months, especially between the PTI Conference Centre and Woodridge Hotel, where it is now more of an earth road than a federal highway.

    Mr Aaron Aghorigho, a businessman, told our reporter that before car owners leave their homes to the office every morning, they need careful plotting of routes in order to avoid the most pothole-plagued roads like Sokoh Estate Road, Housing Complex Road (Ekpan), Alegbo, Ugbolokposo and NPA Bypass among others.

    “Unfortunately, the options are becoming fewer by the day as one road after the other gives way to potholes and become gutters. You cannot truly avoid them; you can only calculate the ones with lesser bad spots, the width and depth and decide if the pain of crashing your car through them is worth the mission. For most routes, you do not have that luxury, especially when the crooked road is the only option,” he said with a sardonic smile.

    The appalling condition of roads around Warri and other parts of Delta State is not due to lack of efforts by the government. The immediate past governments in the state and the Niger Delta Development Commission  invested billions of naira on the construction of access roads, rehabilitation and dualisation of major roads in the city and other parts of the state.

    It was learnt that the problem of flood in Warri and environs is compounded by the jinxed ADB-Assisted Water Project, whose nearly 20-year-old underground network of pipelines are constantly rupturing and erupting like volcano on Airport, PTI/Jakpa, Housing Complex and other major roads in the twin cities of Effurun/Warri during tests. The hope that the project would pump water to homes and not continue to be unwanted fountains on the streets is dying.

    Our finding revealed that intra-city roads in the university town of Abraka and those in Ughelli; those linking communities in Ughelli North and South, including the Abraka-Orogun- Agbarha-Otor- Ughelli and Sapele metropolis are badly in need of repairs that may not come soon as a section of state fears that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa might concentrate on roads in the state capital and Delta North area to the detriment of those areas because roads in Agbor, Issele-Uku, Ibuzor and others are also awful.

    In his reaction, Mr Victor Efeizomor, media aide to Governor Okowa, assured that the governor remained committed to his promise to make the state prosperous for all.

    “It should be on record that the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has vowed to remained focused as his administration has begun to match words with action in its bid  to fulfill  electioneering promises to the people of Delta State.

    “You will recall that the government not too long embarked on the inspection of some sectors of the construction work on the Asaba/ Ughelli road dualisation. He also carried out inspection tour on some major roads in the state, including Warri and its environs, with the intention of ensuring that the project continues. Also, the state government made available funds for the rehabilitation of failed portions  of the Asaba –Ughelli road  near Ogwashi- Uku.

    “Similarly, the government earlier embarked on the desalting of drainages across the state to provide immediate temporary solution to the issue of flooding being face by our people in most communities across the three senatorial districts.”

    Efeizomor blamed the slow pace of road construction and repairs on the season. He said there was very little government can do under the prevailing incessant rain.

    “Once the rains give way, the issue of bad roads in all the three senatorial districts of the state will be given adequate attention.”