By Daniel Obagha
The Community leaders in Umuoba Anam in Anambra West LGA have called on Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to construct access road to their fishing lakes to help them evaluate fresh during fishing festivals.
Speaking at the 2026 fishing festival of Isaa, Iwelle and Iwalaa fishing lakes of Umuoba Anam, the Chairman of the Mmevo Ruling Council of Umuoba Anam (MRCUA), Chief Sunday Emeka Nduba expressed his sadness over the rate the fishes killed at the fishing festival spoil because the road to carry them to urban was very bad.
”I am so sad that all these fishes don’t get to the market on time before they spoil. The road to this place is so bad. Vehicles cannot come here to carry our fishes.
“It’s only motorcycles and bicycles that can reach here and they cannot carry enough fish. We are then forced to dry them instead of selling them in the market when they are still fresh,” he lamented.
Nduba calls on Anambra State Governor, Prof. Soludo to come and help them out.
“We are appealing to the Governor of Anambra to construct access road from Iyiora Anam to Isaa, Iwelle and Iwalaa fishing lakes so we can easily evacuate the fishes our people kill here.
“The fishes we kill here are much bigger than the ones killed in Arugungu Fishing festival in Kebbi State. So if government can provide good road, solar light and pipe borne water, this place will beat Arugungu and become a tourist attraction to the state,” the chairman said.
The Secretary of MRCUA, Chief Ignatius Obadiegwu, called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to join hands with the Anambra State Government to make the fishing lakes tourist sites.
“We call on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to come and see how this place should be developed to generate revenue for the government and become a tourist site because we kill a lot of fish here,” Chief Obadiegwu said.
Also the President of Umuoba Anam Youth Council, Comrade Onyebuchi Mmeh, praised Governor Soludo for his good works in Anambra State and urged him to come and develop the areas surrounding the fishing lakes.
“We the youths of Umuoba Anam are appealing to our governor, Soludo to extend his good works in Anambra to this area in terms of good roads, solar lights and pipe born water”, he said
Chief Chukwudi Nwakonuche complained that in the night the darkness in the area was a security threat to the fishermen.
“We need solar lights in this area so that in the night we will know those that came for fishing and those that came to attack us. We also run risk of snake bite here in the night but with solar lights we can see roads and avoid it,” Nwakonuche said.
Chief Ignatius Nnekwe described the types of fish that are killed at the fishing lakes: okpo, egbili, ikele, obo, asa, ikpokpo, ipete and all sorts of fish in large quantities here but our problem is bad roads. Before we reach the market to sell them many of them will have spoilt. So we need help from government,” he said.
Isaa, Iwelle and Iwalaa fishing festival is an annual event of the people of Umuoba Anam both in Anambra West and Anambra State. A lot of fish is killed during the event. This year’s festival kick-started on March 4 and still ongoing.
Daniel is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
