Now, you can understand why many have missed the beauty of Port Harcourt. For those who want to drink from the fountain of the “garden”, lets, take a trip to Opobo for instance. On arrival at the Port Harcourt international airport, pay little attention to the dilapidated infrastructure. Don't be irritated by the touts who would arrange a taxi for you. Just keep your cool and accept some of the irritants as the price to pay for a journey to paradise.
The drive through the airport road into town is smooth except for some portions where construction is still going on. Traversing the town to join the Eleme Refinery Road may be unpleasant. Don't worry. As you get past the Refinery in Eleme, you wonder at the pollution from gas flares. Still don't worry. You are taken through Ogoniland and you remember late Ken Saro-Wiwa, the famous environmentalist. Thereafter your taxi ride terminates at Cornor Water-Side. It is here that you board a small boat that will take you to Opobo, the land of the legendary king Jaja of Opobo.
Now, you can open your eyes to savor the beauty of garden city. The boat ride through the creeks is a wonderful experience. Here, you behold nature in its unadulterated form. When you land at the jetty, don't ask for another taxi, because there is none. From the jetty you have to walk into the town. The cars and trucks have no place in this community. It is back to base and you have no option but to enjoy it.
Opobo, being and ancient kingdom founded by King Jaja, is a tourist paradise. Exploring it brings you closer to nature and its abundant beauty. Opobo is particularly interesting to visit during the Christmas holiday season. That is the period when the famous Nwaatam festival is held annually.
For a newcomer, you may think that we have left Port Harcourt for the interior. Well, the Rivers men, as they love to be called, share a common heritage in Port Harcourt. It is their lifeblood and a point of convergence. The city plays such a central role in their lives that those chairmen of local government areas in adjourning communities reside in ort Harcourt. They drive to their headquarters from their palatial residences in Port Harcourt. So for the Rivers man, garden city is more like Rivers State as a whole, rather than just Port Harcourt. In the light of this, therefore, the treasures of Opobo form part of the much talked about garden city.
Now, why would one spend his Christmas season visiting Opobo? Here is why. It is the period the descendants of King Jaja of Opobo celebrate the annual Nwaatam festival. Nwaatam is a masquerade, which could be likened to the Ekpe in Calabar. Like the Ekpe masquerade, it could be seen as a cult group. Nwaatam is so important to the Opobo man that when they are preparing for it, you would think that they are going for a pilgrimage. Indeed, it is a carnival that no one wants to miss.
So, imagine that you are on your way to visit Opobo at the time of this carnival. At the jetty, you already begin to have a feel of the fiesta. Not even the rusting rails of the jetty will spoil your view of men and women resplendently decked in the traditional wrapper and etibo (gown). As you make your way further into the town, you are likely to see others that are even more elaborately and lavishly dressed. Here you see bowler hats of all shapes and sizes. You see all kinds of stylish walking sticks and of course you see beads in a cascade of colors.
This air of festivity envelops the whole Opobo Kingdom throughout the Christmas season. The highpoint of the celebrations is the seventh day of the Nwaatam festival. This is the day that the masqueraders display their skills on rooftops. Yes, the roof is to Nwaatam, what water is to fish. The celebration is taken to the roofs of houses.
Why do they take their celebrations to such dangerous heights? Enyinna Brown, a proud son of Opobo, said that the roofs provide the ultimate test for Nwaatam. According to him, Nwaatam is expected to purify the men who participate in it. They would not sleep with any woman for the seven days before the performance. They would also not eat any food prepared by a woman within that period. Brown said that if anyone had not kept to the rules, dancing on the roofs might be a dangerous adventure. The defaulters may likely tumble to the ground. Therein lies the excitement.
During Nwaatam festival, the whole town is agog with pomp and ceremony. Lavish entertainment is never in short supply. For seafood lovers, Opobo beckons at Nwaatam. While you savor the excitement of Nwaatam, you may find yourself falling in love with the simplicity of Opobo. You don't have to worry about vehicular traffic. The stone-paved streets are meant for human traffic. Most of the buildings are ancient and the corrosive effects of salty ocean water are evident on the corrugated zinc roofs.
