[OPINION] Fasting In Sokoto: The Unfavourable Weather Condition And Cost Of Living - 9japarrot

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Monday 19 April 2021

[OPINION] Fasting In Sokoto: The Unfavourable Weather Condition And Cost Of Living




By : Soliu Arowolo Adam.

Without an iota of doubt, Sokoto state is one of the most hottest states to live in Nigeria, when it comes to temperature. Though not as Borno and Yobe state. But, in the whole of North-west states of Nigeria, Sokoto state leads the table. During the summer, the average Weather condition  is calculated to be 40°C. The weather usually makes life difficult for people living in the state, but most of the inhabitants of the state, have no option than to get used to it.
Annually, the holy month of Ramadan always falls during the summer. Under, the harsh weather condition, the populace of Sokoto state will have to hold their mouths from eating and drinking from dawn to dust for twenty-nine or thirty days.

At that time, the weather is no longer friendly, the land is thirsty for water, the trees become ghostlike as there is no breeze, the walls of the houses become very hot and the body of everyone becomes dehydrated as a result of continuous sweating, neither electrical nor hand fan can help people's condition as hot breeze is what they offers. Air condition ( A.C) is the only alternative to regulating the temperature, but how many people can afford A.C in a state that is rated as one of the poorest in the country ? Certainly, one-quarter of people living in the state can't afford it.

Despite the condition, people living in this state would have to go out in search of their daily breads under the scorching sun while fasting. People who make their living through strenuous works like  
hawking, pushing wheelbarrow, by labouring as bricklayers etc, couldn't possibly sit at home for a whole month as the stomach 
must be fed. 

Likewise, the government has failed to design any scheme that can make life for the poor masses easier. Both the government and the marketers always make life difficult for the people, as the price of food commodities always skyrocketed during the holy month. It was proved by medical practitioners that too much exposure to the sun has so many health implications e.g Meningitis, heat stroke etc. It also causes lost of water from the body. This therefore makes most of the people preferring to break their fasting with a chill liquid i.e Water, soft drinks, kunun etc. Since not everyone has refrigerator at their various homes, the alternative is to get an ice block and melt it in their preferred liquid drink. Unfortunately, the ice block that's sold between 10# and 20naira on a normal day will now be sold between #50 and #100 during the holy month. Additionally, the price of rice, beans, fruits, palm oil etc. Has increased immensely. This makes one sad, because it's at this point that the price of things suppose to reduce but reverse is the case. 

No doubt, this is not the teaching of Islam, but people in Sokoto state can only be praying and hoping for positive change.

Soliu Arowolo Adam is a Medical Laboratory Science Student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University,Sokoto and a campus journalist.

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