Residents of Sokoto and its environs have been experiencing very hot weather in recent times. OLAKUNLE MARUF writes on the experience of residents and how the heat wave can be managed.
I am travelling back to Gusau to be with my family for now. Probably, I may be back in the next one month or so, but, for now, I have to run for my life.
“I need to look for a way to reset my brain. Things are getting out of hand due to the weather. If I am to confess, I have never experienced any weather such as this since I was born.”
The above was the brutal declaration of Sanusi Abubakar, a motorcyclist operator in Sokoto State. Abubakar is a native of Tsafe in Zamfara State but lives in Sokoto, where he uses his Bajaj motorcycle for commercial operations to feed his family back home in Zamfara.
For some days now, he has been finding the excruciating heat of Sokoto and environs unbearable. He was even beginning to regret his decision to relocate to Sokoto from Abuja where he was doing his ‘okada’ business when he could have returned to the comfort of his home in Zamfara.
“I was doing this job back then in Abuja before the ban on ‘okada kabukabu’ which forced me [and other operators] out of the federal capital,” he explained, adding that he had established a farm in Tsafe, his home town, before going to Sokoto to continue his commercial motorcycle business.
“It was after the harvest season that I came to Sokoto to continue the ‘kabukabu’. when harvest time is over. I have been doing this job in Sokoto for over seven years now, but never witnessed this type of hot weather.”
It is not only Abubakar who is complaining of the extreme heat of Sokoto, almost every resident of the city of the caliphate has one complaint or the other about the weather condition, including Alhaji Abdulfatai Abdulsalami, the chief executive officer of Fatsam Media, who has spent over 30 years in the Northern part of the country. Alhaji Abdulsalami, a media professional, has worked in about five states in the North before settling down in Sokoto.
Having just returned from Lagos State where he went to observe the last Ramadan fasting, Abdulsalami disclosed to Sunday Tribune that there was no way he could have endured the Sokoto weather while fasting.
“Sincerely speaking, fasting in Sokoto is not a child’s play,” he explained. “The weather at times gets to 45 degrees while the worst you can have in the South is around 30 to 34 degrees.
He said further that he had to travel to Lagos because he knew he had a choice. “Before now when I had no choice, I used to observe it here in Sokoto, but now that I know I have a choice, my brother I have to travel.
“Honestly speaking, the weather here in Sokoto is something else and it only takes a special grace of God for anyone to survive the heat whenever it comes. It is not a matter of whether you were born there or not. Nobody can tell you that he or she is comfortable with the situation whenever it arrives.”
Low patronage…
Unlike before during the dry season when some small business operators like cold water, and soft drinks hawkers would make brisk business, this year’s situation is different. It is compounded by the constant breakdown of the national grid which has distorted and severely disrupted electricity distribution to many homes and petrol scarcity across the country.
Sokoto is particularly hard hit as the availability of these two critical necessities would have given residents the choice of mitigating the effects of the harsh weather by themselves. But according to Mallam Shamsudeen Ibrahim, who specializes in generator repair and servicing, the weather is not bringing a smile to his face at all.
In the past, a weather situation like the current one would have fetched him more patronage. But this year, business has been near zero.
“I can tell you for free that we technicians usually wait for this period to make more money for ourselves because, during a weather like this, people would need their generators and would get them repaired if they had any fault.
“But this year is different in all ramifications. The economy has a bad effect on the people which is making it difficult for many residents to make use of their generators.
“Scarcity and the rise in the prices of petrol, and foodstuffs have also not helped us as we find it hard to get customers here.
“How I wish the price of petroleum could be reduced to help us get patronage,” he lamented.
Like Mallam Ibrahim, Mallam Jamiu Afolabi, an auto mechanic, who specializes in all Japanese vehicles, said the heat has affected his business.
According to him, many vehicle owners as a result of fuel scarcity have abandoned their vehicles at home.
“If you go round the metropolis, you won’t find it difficult to realise that vehicles are scanty on the roads unlike what we are used to in the state.
“Most people now prioritise their movements before going out and if they have their time, they now prefer to trek to their destination or take Keke Napep [tricycle]. This has affected most of us, especially the artisans, as we now find it a bit difficult to make provisions for our children at home. You can imagine with this harsh weather, if one does not eat the correct food, only God knows what that can cause.”
Getting over the heatwave…
But what are the implications of the extreme heat wave and what measures can the residents take as precautions?
A medical expert, Fatima Ibrahim, who spoke with our correspondent advised residents of the state to be extremely cautious and ensure that their bodies get hydrated all the time.
“The weather is not too good for citizens and residents of the state,” she observed. “I will advise that residents should try and drink enough water. Drinking water will help a lot in this period to battle dehydration, among other things.
“I will also advise residents to ensure they sleep where they can get enough air/breeze at midnight. We all know that fuel has gone beyond the reach of ordinary citizens for now, therefore the issue of generators may be a no-go area. But why can’t we try and sleep outside?
“This will help us a lot, especially those that live in a fenced building. As for those with little kids, we should not go to bed without ensuring that we have drinkable water by our side. Whenever our kids wake up to ease themselves in the midnight, we must ensure they take water before going back to bed. This will help us all a lot,” she admonished.
Also speaking, Auwal Musa, a medical doctor with the Nana Khadija Foundation, enjoined people to be wary of their movements and where they go in the heat.
He said residents need to be more conscious of their daily routines due to the weather conditions so as not to fall victim.
“This period is a very serious and delicate period for our people here in Sokoto. When you look at the weather, you will realize that for over a month now, the temperature has always been between 42 and 45 degrees which means the heat is at its peak.
“I will advise that we should spend more time at home. Thanks for the scarcity of petroleum which has restricted the movement of our people, we need to take more time to rest at home.
“We should only go out when it’s necessary and if we have to, we must ensure we do not expose ourselves too much to the sun and if possible always go with our water bottle.
“This is not a time to be ashamed of water bottles; it is very necessary because of the condition of the weather and for our health,” he said.
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