Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to
President Muhammadu Buhari is no doubt, one of the finest
writers of his generation.
In this piece, he details his fun, scary and adventourous
moments on his recent trip to Jordan with President Buhari
and its really hilarious.
Read Below...
It was a gust of chilly wind that said Akwaaba
(welcome, in Ghanaian language) to me in the
Jordanian city of Aqaba, that night of December 1,
2017. We had flown for about five hours from Abuja,
as President Muhammadu Buhari was to attend a
summit on combating terrorism in West Africa,
convened by King Abdullah 11 of Jordan.
The presidential plane touched down at King
Hussein International Airport at 8.15 p.m local time
(7.15 p.m Nigerian time) and a cold embrace was
what Aqaba offered. It was winter, and the city
gripped you in a forceful bear hug that was icy cold.
Nobody taught me before I made a dash for the
vehicle that was to take me into the city.
I had checked the weather condition online before
we left Nigeria. I was told 11 degrees cold. I was
ready, but nearly not ready enough. That cold hug
was more like six degrees. Incidentally, that turned
out to be the only very cold evening, till we left
Jordan three days later.
Three state governors-those of Osun, Kogi, Niger-
had accompanied the President on the trip. I was in
the same car with Governor Rauf Aregbesola of
Osun State. Did the protocol people know that this
was my own very governor, or it was mere
coincidence? Well, we had a good conversation as
we rode into the city. The governor talked about the
historical significance of Aqaba, how some ceasefire
had been negotiated in the city in the past, how it is
the economic nerve centre of Jordan, how the
country has no petroleum or many other mineral
resources but was quite prosperous, and above all,
how Jordan was an oasis of peace in a region
characterized by almost perpetual turmoil. I was
intrigued, and decided to write a travelogue after the
trip. So, this piece you are reading, was inspired by
my discussion with Gov Aregbesola of the State of
Osun, during the 15 minutes ride from the airport to
the Intercontinental Resort, Aqaba.
Presidential trips are normally busy, very, very busy,
as you have to keep Nigerians back home and those
in the Diaspora updated on the activities of their
President. But this trip was peculiar, in that it was
about security, and not everything needed be
reported. There was, therefore, some time for leisure.
I used it. Wouldn't you?
My room at the hotel overlooked the Red Sea. You
only needed to draw your curtains (which I did on
Saturday morning) and you were confronted by the
majesty of the sea, with the waters shimmering in
the early morning sun. The poet, John Keats, had
written about feasting one's eyes on the glory of the
sea.
"O ye that have your eyeballs vext and tir'd,
Feast them upon the wideness of the sea.
O ye whose Ears are dinned with uproar rude,
Or fed too much with cloying melody-
Sit ye near some old Cavern's mouth and brood,
Until ye start as if the Sea Nymphs quired."
And that was what I did. I feasted my eyes on the
wideness of the sea. It was blue, expansive, as far
as the eyes could see.
Blue? But this one was supposed to be red. Well, in
2011, I had visited Israel, and while heading for the
Taba border to cross into Egypt, for an expedition to
Mount Sinai, I had passed by the Red Sea. It was
blue, and I had taken our tour guide to task. This
was how I conveyed the explanation in a piece
published in Daily Sun on December 2, 2011:
"But is that sea really red? Not actually. Why is it
then called the Red Sea? The water is actually
bluish, as in any other sea, but the surrounding
mountains are brown in colour, something like the
hue that is called ox blood. So, in the afternoon
hours, when the sun is at its peak, the mountains
cast a reflection on the waters. The incandescence
turns the waters almost red....So, what better name
for the sea? The Red Sea."
Since there was some time on our hands, before the
bilateral meeting between President Buhari and King
Abdullah 11, on Saturday, I called some of the
media people on the trip: Abiodun Oladunjoye, a
deputy director in the Media Department of State
House, Ismaila Chafe of News Agency of Nigeria,
Rashidat Yusuf of Mitv, and her camera man, Kelvin
Okeke. "Let's go tour the city!" They were game.
We trooped into a bus, accompanied by a guide
named Mustapha Abughalion. For the next hour, we
were footloose in Aqaba, seeing many points of
interest.
First port of call was the bank of the Red Sea.
Aqaba is a desert city. In fact, it is said that it
experiences rainfall only about twice or thrice a year,
but God has compensated with the Red Sea, which
brings some moistness to the atmosphere. And the
sea is the source of commerce for the country.
Different holiday resorts dot the long coastline, and
these are patronized by people from all over the
world. In 2010 alone, it is on record that Jordan
received over 8 million visitors. Aqaba was also
named the Arab Tourism City for 2011.
There is also the Port of Aqaba, which is the only
one in Jordan. It was rated as Best Container
Terminal in Middle East by Lloyd's List in 2006, and
we saw brisk business going on there.
Jordan is located on the tip of the Red Sea, between
Asia, Europe and Africa. Aqaba is in southernmost
Jordan, with a population of about 200,000 people.
Another major city and capital of the country,
Amman, has about 4 million people. In a country of
about 9 million, Jordanians are five million, while
the rest is made of people from Palestine, Syria and
Iraq, most of who who came as refugees. Jordan is
quite hospitable.
Aqaba is neat, squeaky clean. Street sweepers are
seen on duty, picking even the tiniest specks. The
traffic is very sane, with disciplined drivers. No
stress.
A city called Petra is a World Heritage Site. Other
tourist attractions, about 100,000 nationwide,
include the Dead Sea, near Amman, the River Jordan
itself, where Jesus was baptized, in fact, Jordan has
been custodian over some holy sites in Jerusalem
since 1924.
The two main world religions, Christianity and Islam,
have venerated sites in Jordan. Al-Maghtais is
believed to be the site where Jesus was baptized in
the River Jordan, while Mount Nebo, Madaba and
Machaerus, are also in the country. Moab, Ammon,
and Edom, in biblical times, were located in today's
Jordan.
Archaeologists have found what is believed to be
the site of the world's oldest church in the country. It
dates back to 3rd Century AD, slightly older than the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and the
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Both date back
to 4th Century AD.
Though Jordan is about 98% Muslims, there is an
indigenous Christian minority, about 5,000 of whom
live in Aqaba. The city has several churches, and
one Christian school, Rosary Sisters School.
Among holy Islamic sites in Jordan are shrine of
Prophet Muhammed's companions (Peace be upon
him) like Abd Allah ibn Rawahah, Zayd ibn Harithah,
and Muadh ibn Jabal.
Aqaba is about 20 minutes away from Saudi Arabia,
and we drove till we were five kilometers away,
before turning. One could see the longing in
Rashidat Yusuf's eyes. She would have given
anything to be able to get into Saudi, and perhaps,
do a quick Umrah. Some other time, Hajiya.
Surrounded by tumultuous countries, bordered
directly by Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Iraq and Syria,
how come Jordan is so safe? Apart from the
November 9, 2005 bombing of three hotels in
Amman by Al-Qaeda, killing 60 people and injuring
115, there have been no incidents. Internal security
is quite high, and Jordan has good relationship with
the West. It also has a peace treaty with Israel. King
Abdullah 11 is known as a man of peace.
Health care in Jordan is world class. In fact,
medical tourism yielded over 1 billion dollars in
2010. Jordan is rated top in the region, and 5th
world overall.
I had some options in my spare time on the third
day. I could go scuba diving, or take a cruise on the
Red Sea. Scuba diving? I shouldn't be like the
cricket that got so well fed, and burst its own
tummy. Any form of diving was ruled out. You go
diving so faraway from home, and mischief happens
to you, the wailing wailers would have a field day,
laughing till they fainted.
With Oladunjoye and Chafe, we paid for a cruise in a
glass boat on the Red Sea. Why is it called glass
boat? The bottom is made of glass, so you could
look at the seabed. One could see all sorts of
creatures in the sea, the flora and fauna. We saw
different species of fishes, water snakes, sea turtle,
sea weed, wreckage of boats, and so many other
things. Under the sea is a treasure trove.
The boat was captained by a teenage boy named
Yahaya. I could feel my heart moving into my
mouth as we got into the middle of nowhere.
Coward! Yes, I agree. I have sailed on the Atlantic
Ocean, Indian Ocean, and many other seas. But I
am still a coward where water is concerned. Chinua
Achebe wrote that we often stand in the house of a
coward, to point at the ruins of the house of a brave
man. I agree. Yahaya obviously saw the fear in my
eyes, and he gestured that I should not panic.
I chuckled as I remembered my wife. If she could
see me, she would have exclaimed: "This man, is
this what I sent you to Jordan to do?" But she didn't
know until I was back from the voyage. Men and
their escapades!
Human beings can fear, instead of exercising faith. It
is natural. In the middle of the deep, I began to
scare myself. What if a mighty wave came, and
submerged the boat? What if the engine suddenly
stalled? What if fire broke out? What if the boat ran
out of petrol? What if... Get thee behind me, Satan!
The only fright we had was when we met a military
gunboat on patrol. It was at top speed. The waves it
created made our boat bob up and down, and it was
an uneasy experience. It subsided after some time.
To appreciate the glory of God, take time to go out
on the sea. The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament His handiwork, says the Good
Book. In another place, it says "they that go down to
the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
these see the works of the Lord, and His wonder in
the deep." Every man needs that experience.
There were big seafaring vessels we met. Only God
knows what part of the world they were coming
from, with all sorts of names. Chakra. Costa
Mediterranea. Shark's Bay. And many others.
After about an hour, when we sighted our hotel right
by the seashore, it was pure relief. The sail had
been good, I'll recommend it to anyone who has the
heart for it. It sure has therapeutic value. But was I
glad to step on solid ground again? All other ground
is sinking sand. This was terra firma. Water was
terra incognita. I'll rather have my feet planted on
solid ground at any time.
No comments