Ex-Chairman FCFNL Insist On Extension Of Fish Harvest In Doma Dam From 6 To 9 Months

Rabiu Omaku

Following the depletion of freshwater fish in the existing 112 bodies of water in Nasarawa State, the Chairman of the National Institute for Fresh Research (NIFFR), the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Agency (NSHCDA), has restocked 25,000 fingerlings to the upper side of Doma dam.

The immediate past Nasarawa State Chairman of Fishery Co-operative Federation of Nigeria Limited (FCFNL), Honorable Bashir Mohammed Umar irked over the breach of agreement between the members of the Association, Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Agency (NSHCDA), and the office of the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, regarding restocking fingerlings at Angwan Agatu.

The ex-chairman of  Fishery Cooperative Federation of Nigeria Limited (FCFNL), Bashir Mohammed Umar, insisted on the extension of fish harvest in Doma dam from 6 to 9 months, during an expanded meeting which comprises the Director General of Human Capital Development Agency, Hajiya Habiba Balarabe Suleiman, the Head of Department of Fishery and Aquaculture, Federal University of Lafia, Yusuf Jummai Khadijat.

Others present at the marathon meeting also include Honorable Bashir Mohammed Umar, The immediate past State Chairman of FCFNL, The immediate past Public Relations Officer (PRO), Rabiu Dogara Omaku, The representative of the Executive Chairman of Doma Local Government Area, Ahmed Ibrahim, The State Director Department of Fishery and Aquaculture, Judah Attah, security personnel’s guarding the water and three representatives of Agatu and Tiv communities.

The Director General HCDA pleaded to those present at the meeting as she attributed the aberration of the agreement with the communities fishing in the water to the inability of her agency to give 2000 fisher women a N100,000 loan each to start an alternative trade like fish marketing.

The D.G affirmed during the meeting that money to the tune of N20,000,000 m would be given to women, while males would be supported with farming implements worth N8,000,000m.

“Recalled that the office of the Deputy Governor made it possible by restocking 25,000 fingerlings of fish three months after. There was a lot of information that fishermen breached the treaty; they would not enter the water to catch fish until after six months. That the fish is mature for harvest”.

An insider attributed the inaction of the eight fishing communities to the inability of the State Government to pay them a token to enable them to introduce another way of earning, as it was agreed that fishermen should embrace irrigation farming while women embrace the procurement of dry fish to keep body and soul.

The former State Chairman, whose tenure elapsed in April 2025, and his team have already handed over to a caretaker committee while a copy of the new executive was submitted to Abuja pending the conduct of elections.

Honorable Bashir Mohammed Umar expressed displeasure over the way and manner elders of the eight communities were not able to inform their members with an update on the delay of the distribution of loans to members from the eight fishing communities.

“I was perplexed about how they are causing me to collect their money from Lafia”.

The DG gave the assurance that money would be distributed to the end users by next week, saying people of the eight communities have exercised enough patience for three months after we stopped them from fishing.

There was a marathon meeting at the agency for three hours as the stakeholders of the Association, the Director of Fishery and Aquaculture, Nasarawa State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Judah Attah, and the Head of Department, Fishery of the Federal University of Lafia, were at the meeting.

The meeting resolved that no fishermen should enter the water, and any member caught should face the temerity of his inaction.

The six months to harvest fish should be extended to nine months to enable fish to mature very well.

That security should be beefed up within the eight communities so as to safeguard the fish.

Those providing security to the water body should be more active in the discharge of their duty.

That no one is above the law, including those securing the water bodies.

They should not be paid two months’ stipend since they did not work for it.

That the same budget for six months’ activities be maintained for the extension of an additional three months.

The representative of the Executive Chairman of Doma Local Government, Ahmed Ibrahim, while responding, told the leaders that Government money is not “Father Christmas”  which will be shared to people.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman expressed concern about how the fishing communities breached the agreement reached.

“The Local Government Chairman has committed himself to pay huge amount of money to the tune of N18,000,000m for this failed investment while the State Government would give same amount, If I have the chance, I will convince the Chairman to back out of the deal”, Said the representative of the Local Government Chairman, Ahmed Ibrahim who expressed concern over the breach of agreement with the fishermen.