Bar Beach: Why they don’t want to leave

It’s a Wednesday afternoon. The Bar Beach area is yet to awaken, and this  mostly occurs during the evening and mostly on weekends, yet few people could be seen arriving in their private cars and commercial vehicles. Bar Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Lagos, serves a variety of purposes. Apart from being […]

It’s a Wednesday afternoon. The Bar Beach area is yet to awaken, and this  mostly occurs during the evening and mostly on weekends, yet few people could be seen arriving in their private cars and commercial vehicles.
Bar Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Lagos, serves a variety of purposes. Apart from being a relaxation point, it is a also a rendezvous for other highly organized events such as the cross over night at the end of every year, among others.
Few meters away from the parking lot and ticket points, the ocean calmly pushes back and forth as some fun seekers play within the safety zone of the ocean, while some walk bare  footed by the coastline to feel the cool touch of the water.
The Bar Beach coastline is home to many, with small makeshifts, serving as homes.  
Investigations reveal that many were born there, just as many consider the area as the best place where they can make a living.
Most of the inhabitants at the Bar Beach, if not all, were said to have been occupants of the once popular Kuramo Beach, which is just a trekking distance from the Beach. That is before the 2012 August ocean surged calamity that claimed four according to reports, while many were declared missing at the time.
Recently, the Lagos State government announced that the state is expecting 263 days of rainfall this year, which may be accompanied with heavy winds, lightning as well as thunderstorms.
Reports also indicate that the rainstorm would commonly be experienced around the coastal city areas, with occasional flood and possible ocean surges, which are likely to affect persons living around these parts.
Only a week ago, a heavy rainstorm tore through some parts of Lagos, an incident many said they have not witnessed in a long time.
“I can’t recall a time when I last witnessed such a heavy rainstorm, I watched as a heavy tree was uprooted by the wind, it was unbelievable,” said Mustafa, a trader at Simpson Street in Yaba.

Not only  were trees uprooted by the heavy rain accompanied with whirling wind ,but electric poles as well as telecommunication masts among others.
Many streets remained flooded for some days, as some areas remained in darkness without electricity.
In Lagos, life along the coastlines especially at the Bar Beach, can hardly be changed as the seaside remains  the first and last home for many.  
Our correspondent also gathered that many who quit life along the seaside ended up returning, because they find it difficult to live elsewhere.Therefore, ocean surge or none, life goes along the coastlines.
“Yes we heard it on radio, but where do they want us to go now? Even though we are praying that nothing would happen, we have lost Kuramo, and if we are to leave here, I don’t think we have another place to relocate to.” A young man who was reacting to warning and living along the Bar Beach, said.

Another young man who identified himself as Lawal, said he doesn’t believe something will happen,since they are not too close to the water.
“I don’t think there will be any such disaster because we are not too close to the sea,” he said.
Yet, when the ocean surge at Kuramo occured, deaths were recorded just as many went missing.Apart from this, some of the makeshifts that serve as homes, were too close to the sea, for comfort, as observed by many.
However, another fun seeker at the Bar Beach, believed that with the recent global climate change, it is possible to witness ocean surges.
“Generally, the climate has changed globally, therefore, I believe that ocean surges could occur. However, it is the responsibility of the government to its citizens,” Abdullahi Liman said.
Liman is not the only person that holds that belief.Quite a number of people interviewed by our correspondent ,agreed that the water level usually rises every year about this time.  
They however pushed the best part of the blame on government activities, which they claimed helped in pushing the water above its usual level.

According to some of them, the government is only using the ocean surge phenomenon to drive them away.A young lady who identified herself as Lydia holds such belief.
“I have been living here for the best part of my life, the government is only hiding behind these problems of disaster to pursue us, and even what happened at Kuramo was caused by the sand filling they are doing,” she opined.
But an elderly man in is his early 60’s who trades  in provision items, and whom everyone refers  to as Baba, said without them the Bar Beach area would have remained  a no go area for fun seekers and tourists.
 “This is where we make our living.We are not only making a living here, but we are also providing security to this place, so that tourists can visit freely. Imagine this place without people like us, hoodlums will take over the place.”
Perhaps apart from the reality that they have no other place to go, many are of the view that what make coastline residents to turn deaf ears to warning calls, is the fact that such warnings are based on predictions that would come to pass.

But according to ecological experts, natural disasters give little or no warning signs in most cases.
However, on the other hand, environmental activists have opined that in most cases, especially in developing countries, the victims of such disasters always remain at the receiving end during such events. That is, after being beaten by the heavy tides of the ocean surge, they couldn’t also avoid facing the reality of eviction from the only place they called their home.
Such activists also hold the belief that, apart from sending warning signals to endangered residents, government have no clear cut road map to handling disaster situations, especially when they are happening or after they must have happened.