#because despite everything there are no multiple save files on one cart

[antirepurp]

holding pokemon bw/bw2 in my arms shaking and crying im sorry i didn't know how to appreciate everything you did when i was younger i promise to cherish the risks you took the gameplay elements you brought the story you told now that i know better

[olympedupuget]

Gif Request Meme - A Musical of my Choice + a Villain:  Artois and Orléans

↳ Requested by @fallenidol-453

Philippe Égalité: The only legitimate son of the Duc d’Orléans, a prince du sang from birth, Philippe was a very unlikely revolutionary. And yet Philippe showed a strong level of compassion for the lives of the lower class, going down a coal shaft to see the conditions faced by miners, pulling a groom of his from a river with his own hands, and providing shelter for the poor during the bitter winter of 1788-89. 

He was noted for his extravagant lifestyle; a noted lover of racehorses, gambling, architecture, his various and assorted mistresses, and all things English. Despite being the richest man in France, with a truly astronomical income, he nonetheless found himself frequently in debt. That was the impetus for him to totally redesign the Palais Royal over the course of two and a half years, opening it up to shopkeepers and establishing it as a major area for counter revolutionary activity, with the police being banned from intervening. As such, an overwhelming feeling of liberty prevailed there, with people from all social classes gathering to observe the spectacles and walk along the gardens there. 

There was a certain amount of hostility to be expected between the two branches of the Bourbon family, going as far back as the first Duc’s tempestuous relationship with his brother, Louis XIV. Still, the relationship between Louis XVI and Philippe gradually deteriorated over time, despite several attempts to patch things up. Orléans blamed Louis for the loss of his naval career, with the controversial Battle of Ushant in 1778 being a major breaking point in their relationship. In 1788, he spoke up at a “Royal Sitting” where Louis tried to press the Parliament into obeying his will, saying “Sire, this appears to be illegal.” Louis responded, “It is legal, because I wish it to be so.” Orléans spent the next five months in a comfortable exile at his estate, and he returned more popular than ever. 

When the Estates General was called, Orléans sided with the Third Estate, taking his place with the other delegates rather than sitting with the Royal Family as his rank entitled him to. His name was consistently brought up alongside revolutionary activity, with his bust being paraded alongside Necker’s on July 12, 1789, when the rash charge of the Prince de Lambesc into the Tuilleries heightened the people’s fears over an armed crackdown of Paris. It would be in the Palais Royal where Camille Desmoulins would jump on a table and call the people to arms, and even though the exact impact of that statement’s been disputed, the fact that Palais Royal was a huge locus point for revolutionary activity never has been. 

Among the royalists, it was popularly thought that Orléans was behind the entire Revolution, masterminding the Storming of the Bastille, the Women’s March to Versailles, a famine, and various and assorted other disturbances, in lieu of believing that the common people themselves were discontent. However, the sources nearest and dearest to Philippe suggest that he had no intention of seizing power, and Philippe’s own action of going and staying in England at Lafayette’s suggestion between October 1789 and July 1790, when he had a strong chance of fighting back against the charges and seizing power for himself by riding off the highest point of his popularity, strongly indicates that he had no intention of seizing the throne for himself. Overall, while he was a man of undeniable courage, the popular consensus is that he was, by nature, too passive to do it on his own, generally being very diffident to those near him such as his former mistress and longtime friend, Madame de Genlis, as well as her rival for his attention, Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos, and generally disinterested in long-form plans, preferring to throw himself into whims. It is far more likely that, if a plan existed to make Philippe king, it came from one of those brains, as opposed to anything Philippe himself considered in any detail. 

He did, however, become embittered over the increasingly chilly reception he received at Versailles, including one occasion where a courtier shouted “Do not let him touch the wine!” when he entered, with him then being spat on as he made his leave. 

In the latter half of 1792, Philippe faced a bevy of problems, both personal and political, as his long-suffering wife had filed for a separation, his daughter was put on a list of émigrés and was forced to leave the country very shortly after arriving (after Madame de Genlis, who he had instructed to take her back before her name could be added, lingered for too long, causing a final breakdown in their long relationship), his popularity was rapidly fading, and he had been called, as a Deputy of the National Convention, to sit at the trial of his cousin. According to one anecdote, found in William Cooke Taylor’s Memoirs of the House of Orléans, it was in that particular maelstrom that he changed his name, as a last ditch effort to save his daughter and prove his loyalty to the Revolution, to Philippe Égalité. Many options were considered for him to not sit the trial, and there is no reason to believe, despite the long-lasting enmity that the two of them had, that Philippe, when he went to sleep the night before the trial of Louis began on December 26, that he had any idea that when it came time to give the verdict on January 14-15, he would vote “yea,” a decision that shocked the entire room, not the least Louis himself. Perhaps it was a last ditch effort to save himself, perhaps he felt pressured to do it by everyone else in the room, perhaps in that moment he truly believed that Louis’ actions merited the death penalty. It’s impossible to truly know, but in the end that one decision, more than anything else, has defined his legacy. 

However, the Royalists would soon be able to find some comfort, as, on the 4th of April 1793, his son, Louis-Philippe, Duc de Chartres, defected along with General Dumouriez, and Philippe’s enemies had the ammunition they needed.

On 7 April, 1793, he was arrested and sent to Fort Saint-Jean in Marseilles, along with two of his sons. Throughout his imprisonment, Philippe kept up an optimistic front, constantly reassuring his sons, the Duc de Montpensier and the Comte de Beaujolais, on the rare occasions he was allowed to speak to them after they were separated, that everything would turn out well, even expressing optimism about his trial in Paris. Whether this was real or simply an attempt at keeping up morale will never be known, but on November 2, 1793, he was sent back to Paris, to be imprisoned in the Conciergerie. He was tried on the 6th and, at his own request not to prolong things any longer than necessary, he was executed on that same day. By all accounts, he met his death courageously, his composure only threatening to break when the cart he was in stopped in front of the Palais Royal, so that he could very clearly see the sign on it that said it was now national property. His last words were to stop the assistants at the guillotine from taking off his boots, saying “You are losing time, you can take them off at a greater leisure when I am dead.” 

Unlike his royal cousins, his body was never found, and to this day, he is generally considered as one of the great villains of the Revolution in media associated with it, though none of the serious charges against him (the October Days being prime) were ever proven.

Charles X- For most of his younger years, like his older cousin, Charles’ defining quality was his wild life, which was punctuated by multiple love affairs, copious gambling and alcohol, and even more copious debts, with his brother, Louis XVI, somewhat reluctantly paying the bills. He also had a close friendship with his brother’s wife, who he shared a love of high living with, the two of them often being seen together at the theatre and balls. This close friendship was much remarked upon, with Artois being a frequent subject of the pornographic pamphlets that circulated about the queen, along with Marie Antoinette’s favorite, Madame de Polignac. In the years preceding and following the Revolution, however, the two of them gradually cooled, with their later relationship being marked by political disagreements. Charles consistently pressured his brother into more conservative stances during the meeting of the Estates General, arguing against doubling the Third Estates’ representation and conspiring to get rid of Louis’ liberal finance minister, Jacques Necker. The dismissal of the Necker would end up being one of the leading causes for the Storming of the Bastille, with Charles’ temporary personal victory being quickly eclipsed by the blaze that the little spark of Revolution had turned into. In the days immediately following the Storming of the Bastille, Artois was ordered to emigrate by his brother, along with the rest of his family.

He wouldn’t see France again for decades, going from court to court in Europe asking for help and trailed by a small army of creditors (who would become some of his most frequent companions, the avid huntsman only being able to go out riding at his estate at Holyrood on Sundays, when his creditors would be unable to pursue him), but with very little materializing, even less of which was successful, with the Battle of Quiberon being particularly disastrous to any hope of a royalist win by military might. Instead, he set up his main residence in London, with his mistress, Louise de Polastron, sister-in-law of Madame de Polignac, upon whose death he swore a vow of celibacy, the former playboy becoming sober and religious in his later years. The family briefly returned to France in May 1814, with the exile of Napoleon to Elba, however his later escape and mustering of the troops led to them leaving the city in February 1815, only able to fully establish themselves back in the country shortly after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Upon his brother, the Comte de Provence’s ascension to the throne as Louis XVIII (the space between XVI and XVIII being taken up by Charles’ young nephew, Louis-Charles, who died in prison and therefore never ruled), Charles became known as a leading member of the Ultra Royalist faction, who were, as the name suggests, “More Royalist than the king.” His brother dying without a male heir, Charles took the throne in 1824, though his highly conservative policies following his more tolerant brother’s reign made him highly unpopular with the public. 

In 1830, he was forced to abdicate. His intent had been for the throne to go to his young grandson, however, it would go to Louis-Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, the son of Philippe Égalite (who would himself end up being deposed.) He spent the remainder of his life similarly to how he spent his exile, traveling from place to place, hounded by debtors.

 Eventually, he would die in Austria, on 6 November 1836, 43 years to the day of his revolutionary cousin’s execution. 

Sources: 

The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow: Gabriel Banat

A French King at Holyrood: Alexander John Mackenzie Stuart

The Journalists and the July Revolution in France: The Role of the Political Press in the Overthrow of the Bourbon Restoration 1827–1830: Daniel Rader

Memoirs of the House of Orléans: William Cooke Taylor

The Perilous Crown: France Between Revolutions, 1814-1848: Munro Price

Prince of the blood : being an account of the illustrious birth, the strange life and the horrible death of Louis-Philippe Joseph, fifth duke of Orleans, better remembered as Philippe Egalite: Evart Seelye Scudder

Revolutions in the Western World 1775–1825: Jeremy Black, ed.

[adambethyname-blog]

LIBERAL LIE: “ANYONE can buy a gun on-line with no background check!” Here’s the truth because I did it...

What I am going to type out here is the time line involved in a single purchase of a handgun over the internet. Why am I doing this? Because in the light of the last mass shooting that occurred in Texas, know-nothing liberals who learned all that they know about guns from the “Die Hard 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray Box Set” are blowing up Twitter with their inane and ridiculous comments about what actually happened and what needs to be done to end “gun violence.” 

Keep in mind that none of these things will actually work, but whatever. 

One of the things I constantly hear from the anti-gun crowd is the ease in which you can buy a gun on-line. Somehow, going on-line to purchase a weapon circumvents a lot of the red tape put up by the government to keep us all safe and those dastardly Republicans with their camo hats and Pabst beer don’t want to close this loophole that will INSTANTLY transform America into a Utopia of hugs and kisses and puppies and fairy sprinkles. 

It’s not true. Any of it. And to prove it, I went through the process and documented everything to show you what happens. 

August 30, 2019 - 11:20pm: Surfing the internet, I saw an incredible offer for a handgun being offered at a legitimate gun store in Kansas. Put the item in my cart, checked out using a credit card.

Morning of August 31, 2019: read the confirmation email that asked me to have my local gun dealer contact the store in Kansas verifying that they are licensed to accept a mailed firearm & run a background check. I responded to the email w/ a general question about an ambiguous statement in the email that I needed to have clarified. 

Sept. 1, 2019: No response.

Sept. 2, 2019: No response.

Sept. 3, 2019: Still no response... resorted to being obnoxious and started faxing multiple copies of my email to the fax number on the Kansas store’s web site complaining that they aren’t answering emails. After about 12 faxes, they emailed me back answering my question. It turns out, my local gun store didn’t not have updated info on file and they needed to update their records. 

Sept. 3, 2019 - 10:34am: Called my local gun store and told them to call the store in Kansas to acknowledge my order and verify shipping to receive my order. The clerk at my local gun store told me that handguns are normally shipped via Fed Ex. 

Sept. 4, 2019 - 1:09pm: Received an e-mail from Kansas store. My gun has been shipped via 2-day air to my local gun store. Estimated delivery is Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. 

Sept. 6, 2019 - 12:20pm: Received text from USPS that my firearm was delivered to my local gun store. I get in the car and head on over. 

1:00pm: Clerk at the store said that just because they received the gun in the mail doesn’t mean that it’s ready to be transferred. He said they have to do some paperwork to document where the gun came from before they can transfer ownership to me.... I decide to go to lunch.

4:11pm: I’m back at the gun store. The clerk says the gun is in their system and they can start the process of transferring it over to me. I fill out the form for the BACKGROUND CHECK. Yes, you read that correctly. The BACKGROUND CHECK. 

Despite what every Democratic candidate is tweeting about right now, you cannot buy a gun on-line without going through a background check. There is no loophole here. I fill out the form and hand it in along with my DRIVER’S LICENSE... yes, you need ID to purchase an on-line firearm as well...and my concealed carry permit. Why did I hand in my permit? Because in Florida, if you have a CCP, the state waives the mandatory 3-day waiting period on handgun purchases. In 2018, Florida enacted a mandatory waiting period between the purchase and delivery of any firearm sold by a licensed firearm dealer. The mandatory waiting period is either 3 days, excluding weekends and holidays, or the time it takes to complete the required criminal background check—whichever occurs later; however, if you have a CCP, this is waived since you are fingerprinted in the CCP application process. I also had to pay $42 for the transfer fee and background check. 

4:39p: My background check came back as clear, and the gentleman handed me the box with my Sig Sauer P320 pistol in it. 

Total time to purchase the gun: about 7 days. 

Summary: Not a bad experience overall. Seven days could have been shorter if it wasn’t for the customer service issues I had at the beginning. I never got to speak to a live person at the store in Kansas despite leaving a voicemail. They did send me emails after I became a pain and tried to cripple their fax machine with nonsense, so it’s safe to say I won’t be shopping THERE anymore regardless of how good the deal is. I wanted to document this process to dispel a lot of the lies and purposeful misinformation that gets put out on Twitter and social media by the anti-gun crowd. Literally, 90% of what they say is inaccurate, false, or purposely deceptive. 

Conclusion: If you’re legally purchasing a gun, it’s probably LESS time consuming to do it locally (although it might be more expensive because you might find a better a deal on-line). If someone is going to commit a crime with a legally purchased weapon, there’s no point in going through the on-line transfer process because you save NO TIME and dodge NO RED TAPE. You’re adding shipping time, transfer time, multiple trips to the gun store, not to mention you’re dealing with multiple people AND the Post Office (which is a disaster for another column). Regulating the on-line market is just going to make it more difficult for patient, bargain-hunters to find a firearm, not impulsive mass shooters. 

[adboyz8984]

Offshore Dedicated Servers- Find out the best Hosting Plans

Offshore dedicated servers will be exactly like a regular web server however the place where the machine is hosted differs. The physical location of the host is in a different country, whereas most offshore dedicated servers can be found in 1 region or another (based on the legislation of the country). This kind of server is utilized mainly for businesses and professionals who require high bandwidth and performance. An offshore dedicated host can provide you with everything which you will need to operate a highly efficient internet enterprise.

With offshore dedicated servers, then you will not need to discuss your bandwidth with other users because the server is dedicated to your needs. It delivers a level of safety and redundancy that's unavailable with shared hosting servers. An important point to consider about having an offshore dedicated server is the fact that it costs you more than a typical dedicated server could. This is because of the various facets that are included at the offshore dedicated servers - greater capacity, higher redundancy and greater direction. If You're Looking into getting an offshore dedicated host, here are a Few of the Things You Ought to Know about these servers:

Dedicated server hosting providers offer managed services for the web hosting requirements. This usually means that the host is hosted by a hosting company that will be in control of the safety, maintenance and copies of the data of the machine. Your server supplier will also take care of all technical issues that arise, and they'll offer support for any type of queries or issues which you might encounter. In the event you don't want to deal with these technical problems, you can opt for a self-managed dedicated host, at which case you'll cause all the maintenance and copies of your own server.

Besides the aforementioned, there are some offshore dedicated servers that are located in near proximity to billboards that supply a lot of bandwidth and resources. This is very great for folks who want to be able to use too much bandwidth and storage area as possible. As an example, when you have a website which receives a great deal of visitors, then the further funds that you have found close to where your customers are situated, the better. However, keep in mind that the closer you are to a different host, the more it will require data to move. The rate of your server is determined by the space between you and the server provider, so this variable should also be taken into consideration when you are deciding if a offshore dedicated server is ideal for you.

1 thing you have to remember about DMCA ignored dedicated server is that they will cost more than a typical server. There are several reasons for this, but one of the primary ones is due to the positioning of the server supplier. Typically, they are located outside of the nation, and for that reason the prices will be significantly higher. In addition, because the server is devoted to your business, you will probably have better support from the server provider, which could possibly save a great deal of time and frustration in the long term.

While overseas dedicated servers are somewhat more expensive, they also provide more flexibility. For instance, you are able to decide on the hardware and operating system which is most appropriate for your organization. Based on how big your business and the number of software that you use, you might need special equipment that your regular servers don't supply. This versatility is something that is appealing to a lot of small business owners who require extra control over their servers.

Although dedicated servers are normally employed for larger businesses, you may use them for just about any kind of web-based application. But if your website has a huge user base, it's often quicker and easier to outsource hosting to a business or person that specializes in off-site hosting. But, you should be aware that even smaller sites still need a server. A number of the typical uses of a server contain database access, e-mail company, shopping cart applications, audio and video files, and media files like podcasts and audio CDs. Since there's a sizable demand for internet hosting, it's easy to see why so many companies choose to outsource their host requirements.

In case you choose to outsource your personal needs, find a company that will work with you to develop a tailored solution that is most appropriate for your business. You need to be able to select multiple offshore dedicated servers based on your specific requirements. Despite the fact that they are called"dedicated," you should not feel forced to this arrangement if you don't need to get restricted to a single server. Just make sure the business you pick has capable and experienced employees which are willing to help you develop a productive solution for your website.

[premimtimes]

Adebola Oni, 28, stands in front of a kiosk overlooking a marshland on Tony Enyinna Street, Gbagada. It had just rained that Sunday afternoon and the sun was forcing its way out of the sky’s grey shrouds.

At 3:57 p.m., Mr Oni had spent the most part of the day gathering gravel and sand to fill up leaking crucibles in his balcony from where water had leaked into his sitting room. After several rounds of pacing up and down the compound, he took a break outside alone, contemplating the tragedy of his plight.

“The rains are here again; living here is like sharing a room with the devil,” he told this reporter, standing over the mass of water spilling out of his apartment.

As he slowly emptied his frustrations into the silence, a whirlwind of dank, earthy smell oozed through the atmosphere, conjuring up images of rotting matter. And buried right in the midst of the green, sturdy undergrowth is a swamp; a confluence where a mass of both domestic and rain-water finds solace. Unfortunately, it is solace that would later morph into pain for residents of the neighbourhood.

“I regret moving into this apartment, I never knew the situation was this bad. It’s hard to tell whether you are living on the sea or land,” he said watching the water flow into a dingy estuary just beside his apartment.

The community, located on the Ifako area of Gbagada in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, is among the coastal suburbs nestled along the swampy margins of the more than 50 km-long Lagos Lagoon. With a steep topography that makes it the receptacle of rainwater from other neighbourhoods and its proximity to a major canal pouring into the lagoon, residents of this estate live in constant fear of the unknown whenever it rains.

The Warning

In April this year, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warned that about 600 local government areas are under threat of flooding in 2019. In its Annual Flood Outlook, the Director-General of the agency, Clement Nze, advised that no person should build structures within these flood-prone areas while advocating for cleaner drainages across the country.

That counsel appeared to have been ignored by many Lagos home builders. A tour of Taodak Estate, a newly developed landholding in the Gbagada area, showed that most houses in the neighbourhood are surrounded by static water. In one of the houses situated on Otunba Taofeek Street, this reporter sighted a machine being used to empty water out of a storey-apartment.

“What (residents) face here is not just floods, it’s an emergency that needs to be addressed by the government. Go around and you will discover that many houses are flooded even when there is no rain,” a resident whose apartment was affected told this writer.

In an exercise tagged “Operation Remove and Cart Away” in August 2018, the Lagos State Public Works Corporation announced it had commenced efforts to clear primary canals in the metropolis. According to the Special Adviser to then Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Public Works and Drainages, Temidayo Erinle, the aim of the exercise was to prevent lives and properties from damage occasioned by flooding.

This initiative, however, did not translate to relief for residents of Gbagada.

Tales of losses, abandonment, death

Nwosu Bobbypetrus was happy in September 2018 when, after two years of a furtive job hunt, he landed a role with a real estate firm in Victoria Island. Still basking in that euphoria, he raised money alongside his friend to secure accommodation in Taodak Estate. But that excitement faded quickly.

One fateful Friday, after a week of toil and sweat, he retired home to meet his apartment thoroughly flooded.

“I got home that day and I felt like my entire life had collapsed because we had no other place to sleep that night. So, we spent some hours trying to scoop out the water, but it had already soaked virtually everything, including the mattress. We eventually slept in my neighbour’s parlour that night,” he said.

But Tajudeen, who has since vowed not to renew his rent at its expiration in August this year, was not so lucky. After his wife miraculously escaped a giant snake, which came into their apartment with the floods, it was time to say goodbye, at least for a while. “We fled the house in September when we started having issues with snakes coming into the house. My son first sighted one (snake) on their way from school one day. I was forced to move my wife and kids to my mother’s house in Ikorodu. It was a tough moment for the family because it put a lot of pressure on our small finances,” he said.

A trader, who identified herself as Mrs Oloyede, said the floods destroyed the goods kept at her mini-warehouse at home. Although, she could not give an estimate of the worth.

“I left home for many weeks when I could no longer stand the frustration,” said a resident of Otunba Taofeek Street, who identified himself as Bamidele and trades in Ankara prints in Idumota. He said he was forced to relocate to his brother’s residence in Agbado, a Lagos suburb located 41.3km away from Idumota.

Bukola Atlil, who said she had been staying in Taodak Estate for more than three years, seemed the most unfortunate. “Water enters our house, whether there’s rain or not. It becomes worse between July and October every year. You could just be sitting at home and find water pouring into your house from nowhere,” she said.

Yet, a certain ordeal stands out for her. “I was preparing to go to a wedding reception one Saturday around August last year. After dressing up and stepping out to pick up the shoe I was wearing for the occasion, the flood had carried it. That day, I had to wade through the dirty water that had drowned the entire street until I started itching.”

Same state, same story

Elsewhere across the state, the story is the same. Few hours after a heavy downpour on May 20, the house of veteran actor, Ajirebi Olasehinde, popularly known as Pa James (of Papa Ajasco fame), was inundated by floods, sacking the 61-year-old and his family from his Oke-Odo residence. In a post on Instagram, his son, Samuel Ajirebi, said the incident was happening for the tenth year despite efforts to stir the state government to action.

The younger Ajirebi, who claimed the floods had brought the family severe losses, said the incident was caused by an overflowing canal located behind their street.

Also, on May 15, a 26-year-old Accounting graduate of the University of Lagos, Adewura Bello, was declared missing. According to multiple reports, the young lady was said to be heading to her Egbeda home in Alimosho local government when the incident occurred. Eleven days later, residents found her dead body in a canal.

According to reports, Ms Bello was swept by heavy floods into an open manhole pouring into a canal in Abule-Odu area of the state. Eyewitnesses said they were unable to save her as the “massive” flood washed her into the hole.

Where are the subventions?

Perhaps these tragic events could have been averted if a N750 million fund earmarked for dredging waterways was effectively put into use.

In 2015, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment launched a drainage masterplan to address the problem of flooding in the state. An official of the Office of Drainage Services explained that some houses in the state were at the risk of being submerged by floods if drastic steps were not taken. The plan was announced in partnership with Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, a global multi-disciplinary consulting firm whose speciality includes the environment.

According to information on the company website, the consultants were required to develop a stormwater drainage masterplan and a Pilot Area Integrated Infrastructure System. This followed series of site investigations, project cost estimate and action plans. These estimates were not made public.

However, in the Lagos State 2016 approved budget, N250 million subvention was earmarked for the maintenance of drainages across the state. Subsequently, the state government allotted the same amount (N250 million) for both 2017 and 2018 budgets, amounting to N750m in three years.

It remains unclear whether the same amount was allocated in the 2019 budget presented in April by the immediate former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode as the details of the allocations could not be obtained at the time of filing this report.

Several attempts were made to get the Lagos State Emergency Management at the Alausa Secretariat to comment on the utilisation of the funds were unsuccessful. In each case, this reporter was redirected to the Ministry of Environment. In one of the visits to the ministry, this reporter was told by a female officer at the Public Affairs unit under the Ministry of Environment that Drainage Services was the right unit to answer his questions. According to her, Drainage Services had been moved to the Lagos State Public Works Corporation in Ojodu, Berger.

Efforts to reach the principal officer in charge of drainage services at Ojodu were unsuccessful. During the first visit to the new location, this reporter was told that “oga” was not available. During the second visit, he was asked to write a letter to the Permanent Secretary, explaining his request.

‘No dredging in three years’

However, a senior official in the Lagos State Ministry of Environment said the government had not undertaken any dredging exercise in the past three years despite budgetary provision. The senior official, who asked not to be named, as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the problem of residents will continue to compound until the government takes action.

Explaining why the situation gets worse every year, he said: “there’s an arch channel around that area. Normally, it gets bigger and bigger every year. If you don’t do anything about it, it keeps widening. And the wider it becomes, the more dangerous for people who live around it. In fact, those people who live on the edge of the channel are only risking their lives.”

He said the new government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu has to put in place a plan to do something about the situation as the last government had no such plans.

“If you speak to anyone in Drainage, they will tell you there is no money on ground for the project. But every day, people come here to complain about heavy floods taking over their apartments, and that their lives are at risk,” he said.

He added that except there was financial allocation from the state government, the affected LCDA can do nothing to solve the problem because the projects are usually capital intensive.

Climate Change

Nigeria’s climate has witnessed significant spatial and temporal changes with extreme weather and climate conditions with ocean surges and floods becoming more regular, according to the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet). These shifts come with a number of socio-economic impacts on agriculture, hydrology, construction, education and health.

The persistent invasion of water – caused both by canal overflow and floods – has left many buildings in this community in bad shape. As if to set the lid on a boiling cauldron, a significant chunk of the houses are built on swamps while others lack a drainage system. This reporter ran into a marshy, undeveloped land inundated by water.

Two men were seen manually sand-filling the land in preparation for the erection of a structure. This reporter would later learn that the landowner wants to start putting up a structure there.

In some parts of the community, the houses are weak and humid with patches of stagnant water. In one of the houses, water had forced the fence to severe off its attachment to the concrete floor, allowing seepage into the compound. Some of the houses are wobbly, as though about to cave in.

Amongst other things, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 11 seeks to significantly reduce the direct impact of economic losses by disasters (including water-related disasters) with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations by 2030. But until these residents can feel safe in their homes when it rains, without the fear of floods submerging their apartments, this aspiration remains a tall dream for them, and one they cannot lay claim as their own.

Getting out of the woods

The NIHSA has predicted coastal flooding in five states across the country, including Lagos. Its DG, who warned against erecting structures in flood plains, said Nigeria should focus on building flood-resilient communities to alleviate the impact of the floods.

Co-founder of African Cleanup Initiative (ACI), Alexander Akhigbe, wants residents to leave the community, pending when the government rises to the occasion. “I would advise people living there to find elsewhere to stay. Their safety comes first and they should not wait for the government,” he says.

“Water is not something you can manage, especially floods. Let it not be said that the day it floods, a baby is left alone outside. It will be tragic. There’s also the part about health. You don’t want your children to have contact with that kind of contaminated water.”

“I think we are not doing enough to obliterate the root cause of these irregular weather patterns,” said Adebayo Caleb, a lawyer and environmentalist.

“While the government cannot prevent heavy rains, it can prepare residents for resilience. We are hardly seeing any resilience initiatives from relevant agencies – whether for households, crops, or vulnerable population. We have a very typical culture of waiting till the disaster happens while hoping and praying it never does. It’s simply a case of the foolish virgins.”

For residents of this community, and those in similar situations across Lagos, the 2019 raining season evokes something ominous; a curious contradiction of the aphorism that water is life. For these ones, life is a potpourri of sorry joys, and so would wake up every other day, seeking a miracle not to be included in the gory statistics.

Lagos residents lament losses to floods Adebola Oni, 28, stands in front of a kiosk overlooking a marshland on Tony Enyinna Street, Gbagada.