By Balimwor Ekpe
The Cross River State Government has reiterated its commitment to promoting the Okpambe Fishing Festival as a state event.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Chief. Abubakar Ewa, declared this on Friday, 30th August 2024 during the Yala New Yam Festival, held in Yala-Obubra, Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The commissioner expressed gratitude for the warm reception and admired the rich cultural heritage and agricultural potential of the people. He further stated that the Okpambe Fishing Festival has the potential to showcase Cross River as a premier tourism destination that will be at par with other fishing festivals in the African continent, contribute to food security, and promote foreign and cultural exchange earnings.
He said the festival would also create employment opportunities, empower the local fishermen, food vendors, transporters, attract infrastructural development, and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Yala and Obubra people.
Hon. Ewa lauded the Obubra people for the promotion and preservation of some of the notable sites in the LGA, including the Okum/Eminyi Lake, the Onyen Cave, the Ogurude island, the Wonder Stone, the various beaches, and others, expressing the government’s readiness to develop and promote them.
He called on the leaders and people of Obubra to leverage Governor Otu’s commitment to the sector and the popularity of the Okpambe Fishing Festival to diversify and make tourism the mainstay of the economy of the LGA.
The tourism boss, however, frowned at the incessant communal clashes bedeviling the LGA, noting that investors would not invest in areas known for conflicts. He therefore called on the Leaders and people of Obubra to tow the path of peaceful coexistence, unity, love and join hands with the government to promote the festival and sites.
He further pledged the government’s readiness to develop the Okpambe to compete with notable fishing festivals such as Argungun, Etc.
Earlier, while welcoming the commissioner and his entourage to Yala-Obubra, the Town Council Chairman, Mr. Patrick Oba Enem, lauded the state government for recognizing and promoting the local fishing heritage of the Yala-Obubra people, expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for gracing this year New Yam Festival. He praised that his coming was timely and necessary as it would allow him to experience other colorful celebrations of the people, outside the fishing Festival. He maintained that celebrations such as the new Yam festival with rich culture have been deemphasized, over the years to give attention to the fishing festival due to its significance and appealed to the government to fulfill their promise of driving the fishing Festival as a state event.
In his remark, the Acting Clan Head of Yala-Obubra, HRH Ochuole Gabriel Inaku Ogar, while reiterating the community’s commitment to the promotion of the Okpambe Fishing Festival and other celebrations of the people, appealed for government intervention in constructing the Obubra- Ofumbongha- Yala- Onyen- Ochon ring road to enable tourists access the sites during the festival, as community’s effort to do remedial works on the road has not yielded results. Ochuole Inaku also appealed to state government to provide basic amenities such as Electricity, pipe borne water, quality healthcare, and others for the host Community.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Okpambe Fishing Festival and Media Aide to Rt. Hon. Mike Etaba, Member Representing Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency, Eriacy Confidence Oba, expressed gratitude to the state government for its sustained interest in promoting the festival and appealed for the siting of the Okpambe Fish-Farms Estate, Factory and Institute in Yala-Obubra, an aquaculture complex to enhance food security, economic growth and sustainable development of the host Community, through fish farming, processing and training.
According to the filmmaker and CEO of Coneri Nigeria, the proposed Fish-Farms estate and institute would have five hundred fish farms, a processing facility, and a fish development institute that would create employment opportunities for over 500 youths, ensure fish availability for tourists during the fishing festival and create a viable fish and promote agriculture, tourism, and industrialization.
community leaders such as Hycent Ndoma, Chairman of Yala-Obubra Community Association,(YOBUCA), Calabar Chapter, Augustine Inaku Osowor, Former Chief Press Secretary of Council, Cyprian Ngboma Ogar, Secretary of the Yala-Obubra Traditional Rulers Council and others expressed their support and commitment to the festival, assuring of a secure and hospitable environment for tourism drive in Yala-Obubra local Government area.
