Africans Between Hurricanes Gustav And Katrina

By Farouk Martins Aresa

There is no doubt that Hurricane Gustav was tamed compared to Katrina on New Orleans but the issue is how all levels of American government from the locals to the Federal, efficiently orchestrated Rescue 101. This is what happens when you put people first. Those of us who criticized the initial indifferent manner Africans were treated during Hurricane Katrina must praise the Government this time for how well most people were evacuated. As for those who doubt that Nigeria could do it like America that transported almost two million people out of hurricane fury’s way before it hit, we say: just watch us!

We heard from many Nigerians during Hurricane Katrina that our Government handouts missed their targets compared to other governments. Cuba, amongst other countries that sent unsolicited aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina then are now victims of Hurricane Gustav in need of help. Indeed, we later heard from friends about how they were highly disappointed with Nigeria. That is not unexpected when you trust our Nigeria Embassy officials with raw cash to dispense. Nigerians who cannot be trusted with documented allocations made cash available in the name of helping victims of hurricanes. Sio o!

Africans in Diaspora were jolted by Hurricane Katrina and their cause was echoed by all people of different colors which prepared the officials for Hurricane Gustav. The effect of Tsunami could have been tamed if their home Government had 20/20 insight opportunity to copy USA Rescue Mission 101 in the face of Gustav. A friend in Baton Rouge said NEPA was better than Gustav. Can you imagine if any of these hurricanes touched Nigeria?

Someone else said since we have so many disasters in Nigeria, we lost count and become immune. No one can become indifferent to disaster though we may be helpless. Our coastal areas are constantly being flooded but we have never seen anything like Tsunami and we do not pray for it. Oh yes, some political parties have used Tsunami as a broom on the other but hardly did they realize what they were wishing on one another.

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The admirable manner in which United States officials implemented the evacuation of all people from the fury of Hurricane Gustav may mask the type of complaints we heard the last time. There were some causality and we cannot ignore those who also lost their lives in the Caribbean Islands. More work still need to be done and the United States has to show that lessons were learned from the way reconstruction contracts were implemented after the last Hurricane Katrina. Empathy must be backed by actions.

Both major US political parties set aside their differences and cut back on their campaign in order to give maximum coverage and donations to the victims of Hurricane Gustav. As they resume their campaign, we hope the loss of properties and lives in US, Haiti or other Caribbean will not be put on the back burner. From the prediction of the weather persons, if you are a believer, hurricanes Hanna and Ike might unleash their furies too on land.

Lagos and most of the areas of Niger Delta are facing gradual erosions. Even a mild impact on these areas will be disastrous. Nigeria will tell you that we have emergency plans and truly there are people going to work every day and getting paid to plan for disasters. There must be something we can learn from others apart from corruption and exotic cultures that bastardize our own. Emergency response is one.

It cannot be used as an opportunity to remove people from their land, resources and relocate them as some wise guys have suggested. People are not moving away from their god-given resources, so hang that up. We have heard so much about cooperation between States and the Federal tiers building dykes in these coastal regions like the ones we see in New Orleans that prevented ocean waves from overwhelming the City.

Then there are houses built on places that drain some of the flood back into the rivers and ocean. The people who hand out permit to build in these areas are the same ones who prosecute violators. In fairness to El Rufai as a Minister, he had taken on a few powerful politicians in his Party who had built on drains in Abuja. The politics is so confusing, common folks like us can not differentiate the violators from victims or legal from illegal demolitions. That is the Nigerian way of confusing issues with politics.

Some friends have argued that because United States could evacuate people so smoothly does not necessarily mean Nigeria and other Asian countries would be able to do it in terms of logistics needed. We know that if there is that will, there is always a way. That is why other Africans say Nigerians always have a way. After all, no Country has built a capital city recently except Nigeria. The slum surrounding it is a different topic.

Their point rest on the fact that in Lagos alone, evacuating two million people from Bar Beach inwards, would not take us close to Eko Bridge. True. Another friend made a counter point but he wanted some millions before he would put down his proposal. Finally, he asked if we have ever been to Lagos a day or two before Christmas or Eid al-Fitr Ramadan holidays. People get out fast and orderly without Tsunami driving them.

Luckily, on their way out, they take some Lagosians with them as well: their wives, children, relative and friends. When it comes to festivals, you cannot count Lagosians out. In fact, one has to wonder what happens to people in Lagos during year-end cultural festivals. In this case, people leave and pay for their transport with their own money. So there we go. My friend would just ask for religious power to declare Christian and Moslem holidays that actually fall within the same week sometimes. Nigerians would leave Lagos faster than Americans did in New Orleans.

We could not help but ask him if he has any solution for our brothers and sisters in Niger Delta in case of hurricanes. He actually does. He gave a bit of history first about how Ijaw, Edo, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Igbo and Yoruba married one another into the same family. Unfortunately, during the ethnic crisis in laws and cousins started turning against one another. The only call that can prevent Tsunami is from Aiyelala. We tend to believe him as he swore by a few drops from a full bottle of demanded apeteshi!

He finally cautioned that we may need our brothers and sisters from high dry lands in the case of hurricanes and we must not cut our ties with them while life may still be tolerable in the low lands. We do not expect to be evacuated to people we have cut ties from.