Hir Joseph
11 August 2008
analysis
Being one of the four oldest towns in Benue state has no added advantage for the heterogeneous and river side town of Katsina-Ala. This is so because the town is big only in name. It is the biggest name, next to Makurdi, the state capital. With nothing on ground to reflect any form of development over the years, apart from the aged Government College (GCK), which boasts of one of Northern Nigeria's most glorified old boys associations, Katsina-Ala is merely home to the Tivs, Hausas, Abakwas and Etulos.
Katsina-Ala's landscape has nothing to show other than a dysfunctional College of Education and the GCK, the dilapidated Akume Atono Stadium, the densely populated Hausa Quarters, the barely functional general hospital and the road-side local government secretariat.
Nevertheless, the town earns some glory by homing its most distinguishing socio-cultural landmark, Lake Akata. Lake Akata is on the passing River Katsina-Ala. The lake has assumed the status of one of Northern Nigeria's biggest fish sanctuaries and, by extension, an attraction of serious fishing activities culminating in what was known as Akata Fishing Festiva, in the past.
The festival usually held between March and April of every year, and it had captured the attention of fisher-folk and the general public in North Central Nigeria, specifically, the native Etulo and Abakwa people who are predominantly fishermen and women in the area along with their Tiv neighbours celebrated the festival for long before the government of Benue state took over in 1977.
A year after the creation of Benue state in 1976, the state government decided to take over the management - protection and conservation of fish species and the environment of the lake. This is because of the enormous potentials of the lake, which could also serve as freshwater fisheries biological station for the study and development of fishes of the Benue area. It was also thought that the lake would be developed into a historical, resort and tourist centre.
Between the late 80s and the 90s, Akata Fishing Festival was expanded to be staged annually for the fisher-folk to harvest from it on a competitive basis, with the big catches attracting prizes. A cultural show was added to the festival to provide colour and entertainment and also that the people of the state could have the opportunity to showcase their rich cultural and agricultural heritage.
Akata Fishing and Cultural Festival, as it is now called, is, therefore, a celebration of friendship and unity among the diverse peoples linked by historical antecedents, trading and tourism promotions.
In 1977, the biggest fish caught weighted 110.5kg. In recent times however, fish population, species and sizes have dwindled. Fishes inhabiting Akata Lake are mostly Nile perch, otherwise known as Lates Niloticus or Giwan-Ruwa in Hausa, Ko-Ishu in Tiv and Onwe Ofya in Etulo, as well as some catfishes.
The host town, Katsina-Ala is a riverside resort with a unique feature and the scenic beauty of savannah landscape, supplemented by famous River Katsina-Ala with extensive Fadama floodplain covered by numerous lakes dotted all around. Although a new found land, Katsina-Ala town has, for decades, maintained its status as a fishing centre.
Subsequent administrations in the state, however, failed to manage this huge tourism potential to a status where it can attract international patronage. The worst of it came when, between 1997 and 2003, the event could not hold due to the inability of the authorities to coordinate its activities. No reason was given for the failure. Neither was any apology given.
The last, therefore, of the event was in 1996 when the state government attempted to attract investors from foreign countries. The festival's failure to hold from then to the following eight years, however, diminished this golden opportunity and the lakes were neglected, thereby encouraging the natives to go into them with various harmful practices.
Consequently, it became virtually impossible to record a catch of more than the size of an infant's arm. When the administration of former Governor George Akume organized the festival finally in 2004, it was merely a cultural show since the catches that the fisher-folks turned in could not attract any serious attention. Government, however, doled out prizes just as a form of encouragement and to register its determination to continue with the management of the lakes. It failed, however, to keep up the determination as throughout his remaining years in office, Dr. George Akume looked the other way while Tiv, Etulo and Abakwa natives went in with all manner of chemicals and explosives as well as drag nets and terminated the aqua life with arrogant impunity.
When the present administration under Governor Gabriel Tor-Suswam decided, therefore, to resuscitate the event last April, it was starting almost from nowhere, as even the access road leading from Katsina-Ala township to the lakes was at this time taken over by shrubs. The state commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Benjamin Ashaver, under whose purview the management of the lakes falls, expressed surprise that the tourism potential dwindled to the extent that there was hardly an access road to the lakes until one was hurriedly constructed for the purpose of the event. The organization of the event dragged into the month of May because an access road had to be constructed during the rainy season.
The event was, therefore, called The 14th Annual Akata Fishing and Cultural Festival, according to Benjamin Ashaver, who welcomed guests to it. The commissioner said the event offered a unique opportunity and the primary mission was to ensure the conservation and sustainable management of agricultural and renewable natural resources of the state for the maximum benefit of the people of Benue and, indeed, humanity.
"For a developing country like Nigeria, it must be appreciated that government initiates and leads in almost every aspect of our development efforts. Since independence, agricultural development in Nigerian in particular has been government-driven", Ashaver said, but added that "the private sector will need to do more in this area. Government establishes demonstration farms and, in some cases, agricultural and food industries for its people. Sadly, however, these projects are hardly sustainable. Today, there are many moribund agricultural projects scattered all over Benue State and, indeed, the entire country."
The commissioner commended the efforts of the Governor Suswam led administration to extend support to the ministry towards sustainable agriculture and natural resources development and conservation in the state.
He said "it is palpable fact that economic emancipation opportunities abound in water and fisheries resources development in Benue State. There are potentials for investment in fish production, processing and marketing; sport or recreation fishing and tourism. The fisheries sub-sector can also create and provide job opportunities in the rural areas."
The commissioner encouraged Benue people to invest in fisheries, saying that the venture can enhance food security, poverty alleviation and reduction in rural-urban drift. Promotion of integrated aqua cultural and agricultural businesses as well as artisan craftsmanship in boat building and fishing gear technology, according to him, are lucrative livelihood franchises for entrepreneurship development. "There is therefore the need for concerted efforts to develop this sub-sector to promote rural economy", he said.
Now, River Katsina-Ala has about five large and highly productive lakes located on both sides, all within a 10-kilometre distance from the township. These lakes can be developed into a tourist centre. It is believed that the socio-economic and cultural benefits derivable from such a venture are also enormous. Apart from fish production, preservation of cultural and historical values, conservation, science and research, commerce and recreation can be ensured and a lot of revenue can be generated from the tourism potentials of the project for the state.
For instance, Governor Suswam's Special Adviser on Media, Mr. James Uloko, noted that facilities such as hotels, permanent pavilions, shops, boats, museum and lodges can be provided as tourism attraction to draw even foreigners to the lakes for recreation.
"And then, well constructed and beautified huts will be provided around as cool joints where pepper-soup made from the very fish, will be sold. This will attract more than enough patronage from the general public. Before you know it, the lakes will no longer be an attraction of people only during the annual festival", said James Uloko.
The commissioner of agriculture and natural resources, Benjamin Ashaver, corroborated this when he observed that "the Akata Lake Development Project, which was conceived since the creation of Benue State in 1976, now needs to be revisited in the wake of modern tourist trend," adding that "it is pertinent for the state government to establish a viable, state-of-the-art integrated farm as a technology development centre to enhance skills acquisition and promotion of rural economy."
The commissioner gave the example of "the experience of Singhai Integrated Farm Centre in Benin Republic which has been replicated at Sapele by Delta State government", which has compelled Benue State government to approve the establishment of one of its kind at Anyibe in Logo, a neighbouring local government area.
"Government intends to commission a consultant who would submit a comprehensive feasibility study on the project which must cover all foreseeable challenges and problems militating against the sub-sector", he promised.
However, the expected highpoint of the festival did not come, as no meaningful catches came in. The over 100 fisher-folk that poured into the lakes combed every corner but turned in only fingerlings. Any catch more than the size of an infant's wrist was either a snake or turtle, or even crab. Nets and all manner of fishing hooks were thrown at all corners with the accompanying chants, but nothing worth a festival was turned in. Heaps upon heaps of fingerlings piled up, but not one had a fish worth presenting for the star prize of the festival, in spite of the fact that the governor had promised that "the winners will go home with handsome prizes - cars, motorcycles and other attractive prizes".
The failure of the fisher-folks to turn in a catch worth these prizes, therefore, completely phased out this aspect of the festival, except for the competition which took place favourably in the area of cultural shows.
Nevertheless, Governor Gabriel Tor-Suswam stole the show when he declared open the competition with such a craftsmanship that attracted the applause of the crowd. The governor threw in the spear in his right hand with all force, aiming to make the longest throw, but ended up with a catch at the end of the blade. As expected, the governor's catch was equally a fingerling not half the size of an infant's wrist.
The governor, who was accompanied to the event by a three-man delegation of agricultural extension experts from the Iowa State University of Science and Technology in the United States of America (USA), pledged to upgrade the annual Akata Fishing and Cultural Festival to international standard. Suswam disclosed that the state would get private corporate investors involved in the 2009 festival, explaining that one of the ways in which the investors would be involved would be in the institution of prizes, including vehicles which fishermen and women would compete for. He enjoined the people of the state to emulate his Public Policy Adviser, Mr. Conrad Wergba, who, he said, has made enormous investment in fish farming in his countryside home.
Governor Suswam also explained that the inclusion of the cultural aspect into the event has provided opportunity for the promotion of the rich culture of the people as well as entertainment and engagement of youths who may otherwise have been engaged in crime. He maintained that his administration would sustain and upgrade the status of the festival in order to expand its possibilities, believing that the festival has vast potentials for the state.
Several groups and persons who won prizes for outstanding performance at the cultural competition received prizes at the occasion as singers and dancers including the award winning Benue State Arts Council Troupe, which thrilled the audience at the festival. Miss Mimidoo Hemba Angee won the first prize as Miss Akata 2008, while Miss Member Jesinta Akpagher won the First Runner-Up prize and Miss Tesem Damayali, a former Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, Most Beautiful Girl of the Community of Tiv Students (CTS), came as Second Runner-Up.
However, the prizes for the fishing competition could not be given as a result of the poor catch.
The agriculture commissioner, had asid at the beginning of the festival that one of the problems limiting fisheries protection, conservation and management in the state is the lack of capacity to enforce fisheries laws which are, in most cases, obsolete or ineffective. Decree No. 108 of 1992 and relevant State Laws vest the power to manage all inland freshwater fisheries in the state government. However, the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture lacks the manpower and facilities to enforce the fisheries laws and regulations.
The enlightenment campaigns against obnoxious fishing practices and promotion of responsible fishing methods have not produced positive results as fisherman continue to flout the relevant laws with impunity. Mr. Ashaver said, "There is, therefore, the urgent need for government to reinforce the enforcement agencies for more drastic measures against unwholesome fishing. Besides, the Ministry requires additional staff and equipment, to wit, graduate fisheries officers and Superintendents, patrol boats, etc. to police our waters."
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