Igu-Kotonkarfe fishing festival: Showcasing Ebira cultural heritage

The 4th annual Igu-KotonKarfe fishing festival held on Thursday March 31, 2022. Thousands of fishermen thronged the kingdom in Kogi State in search of the biggest fish in the pond. Daily Trust on Sunday reporter captured the colourful event. On the shores of the Ohi-Ogbani fishing pond, over 3,000 locals, comprising of men and women, […]

The 4th annual Igu-KotonKarfe fishing festival held on Thursday March 31, 2022. Thousands of fishermen thronged the kingdom in Kogi State in search of the biggest fish in the pond. Daily Trust on Sunday reporter captured the colourful event.

On the shores of the Ohi-Ogbani fishing pond, over 3,000 locals, comprising of men and women, both young and elderly, armed with spears (Okpaga) or fishing nets (Ohomo) gathered, waiting for a signal to dive into the pond for the commencement of the Igu-Kotonkarfe festival.

The Ohimegye of Igu-Kotonkarfe kingdom, Alhaji Abdulrazak Sani Isa Koto, in whose kingdom the pond is situated, considers it special because it is the largest of the eight fishing ponds in his domain and the venue of the 4th annual Igu-Kotonkarfe fishing festival for which the fishermen had gathered.

Upon a signal, the 3,000 fishermen plunged into the pond to find the biggest fish they could catch.

Daily Trust on Sunday observed that the participants are mostly from various ethnic groups such as Gwari, Abawa, Ganagana, Bassa and of course the host tribe, Ebira.

For the iron and fish rich Igu-KotonKarfe kingdom, the festival is the 4th in its history and this year, as in previous ones, it featured fishing/cultural festival, a boat regatta, symposium/exhibition and cultural displays from various ethnic groups that make up the kingdom.

The fiesta commenced on Tuesday, March 29, with cultural troupes accompanied by colourful masquerades in front of the palace of the Ohimegye of Igu-Kotonkarfe kingdom. In their varied costumes, they danced all through the night until dawn, to the pleasure of a crowd of spectators.

The annual fishing festival attracted not only prominent sons and daughters of the kingdom but dignitaries including some commissioners, as well as Governor Yahaya Bello’s wife, Hajiya Rashida Yahaya Bello.

 

Also, prominent people from Kotonkarfe, both at home and abroad, graced the occasion, while special guests from outside the state, traditional rulers, community leaders, village chiefs/ district heads all converged at the pond on the last day to see who would catch the biggest fish. 

In his welcome address, the chairman of Kogi State Civil Service Commission, who is the organiser of the fishing festival, Barrister Musa Tanko Osuku, said Igu-Kotonkarfe kingdom is blessed with many fishing ponds including Enyi, Zihe, Iduu, Oriki, Ohembe, Ogumachi, Okotobo, Otochi, Onkwo, Adagema, Unwe Oduma – Jada.

He said the ponds can continuously be harvested for over a month, though the Ohi-Ogbani pond had been exclusively reserved for an occasion of such magnitude.

“And besides, it is a clear that geographical location has been an advantage to produce not only species of fishes but the sweetest around, which is evident in their taste,” he said.

According to him, the fishing festival symbolises the harmony, peace and brotherhood among the diverse ethnic composition in the Kingdom.

Osuku, while appreciating the wife of the Kogi State governor, for sponsoring this year’s fishing festival, said he hopes that Igu fishing festival will one day transform to the Argungu fishing festival in Kebbi State where international tourists make it more colourful by participating and partnering with the local talents.

On his part, the Ohimegye of Igu-Kotonkarfe kingdom, said the last fishing festival was held in 2019, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of sponsorship.

He noted that a programme of such magnitude cannot be done without financial support, saying one needs to hire hands to make such event conducive and colourful.

“But luckily this year, wife of the Kogi State governor, Hajiya Rashida Bello, in her magnanimity decided to sponsor this fishing festival. We appreciate her so much for the gesture,” he said.

The monarch, however, said that the Igu-Kotonkarfe kingdom boasts of many fishing ponds within the kingdom, saying the fishing festival has economic and social impact on the people of not only the kingdom but the entire Kogi State.

He, therefore, called on private individuals, corporate organizations, state and the federal government to support the fishing festival.

Wife of the Kogi State governor, Hajiya Rashida Bello, said she decided to sponsor this year’s fishing festival in order to showcase the cultural heritage of the Ebira nation.

She said the Igu-Kotonkarfe kingdom is naturally endowed, which has been a great attraction for her. Part of her reason to sponsor the festival was to foster unity by bringing together people of various ethnic backgrounds to participate and showcase their cultural endowment. 

The mother of the state, who said she was proud and overwhelmed to take part in this year’s fishing festival, assured that the state government under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Bello will continue to partner and support the fishing festival in order to encourage both men and women in fishing activities in the area.

A foreigner from Syria, Mr Rimon Okan, while speaking with our reporter at the venue, said he was attracted to the fishing festival because of the local way of fishing in the area.

“Even though I work with a company in Lokoja, I was attracted by the local way of fishing here and other cultural displays. In Syria where I come from, we don’t have this kind of fish or festival,” he said.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of prizes such as motorcycles, deep freezers, refrigerators, 120 KVA generators and mattresses to those who made big catches.