(Yala-Saltfest) salt of the earth

Oma Festival (Salt Festival) is an annual event whose aim is to empower local salt makers and keep artisan skills from fading away by using circus to embark on a continuous improvement method in both, while effort will be expanded to adopt international technology for world market. The circus will bring artisans the world over to display skills and compete for the warrantee registered as On The Presidents Service.         

Yala is known for its salt a reason why the present local government headquarters is named Okpa-Oma (Okpoma) which means salt lake.

The salt industry when properly harnessed using current technology we believe will undoubtedly empower the people to the extent the oil of the Niger Delta is presently doing for the Country. For many hundreds of years the local communities relied on the basic technology of fetch - cook - crystallize into chunk and dried which only provide enough for the community.

The fetching point of the salt lake is located at present day Oba in Okpoma, Yala Local Government Area.

Festival Objectives:

• Create a rallying point for the display of cultural tools used for mining exhibition.
• Create a forum for discussions and adoptions of appropriate policies for continuous salt improvement technology.
• Bring together a large gathering of artisans from within and outside the community for cultural proliferation in a circus like carnival.
• Create a Yala Salt Research Institute where local and international scholarships will be encouraged and supported.
• Develop a systematic approach to salt making while preserving the aging salt ponds for tourism.
• Make Yala Salt Lake Festival the first of its kind in the world there by attracting states, national and international partnership. Pursue an inclusion into the Guinness world record as the first salt festival.
• Use the gift of the salt lake as a tool for negotiation to attract favourable policies and programmes for Yala community and its environs.

Artisan expected at the festival, such as:

Dancers:

• Iyayan-Rube

• Akataka

• Yeku Achi

• Yeku Ebe

• Yeku Eto

• Ogrinya

• Ijosi

• Shargari (modern Ijos)

• Ekpatuma

• Wohi

• Akpa

• Ijege

• etc.

Magicians:

• Oka

• etc.

Project Overview:

From old, a set of people form the major basis for Kings and Queens to take actions

And  make decisions. Sometimes they pay the ultimate prize when things go wrong.

Modern examples abound. Barrack Obama becoming a US President, the magicians

Who climbed mount Everest, Yuri Gangarin who confirm that Yes man can walk on the moon. There are other modern days wonders worth mentioning like Mr. Grun who survived under the rubbles of Haiti for 31 days with unseen hands giving him water to drink.

Yala can initiate the days of signs and wonders akin to the Egypt of old as the  last salt of the earth.

December 28 of every year will witness the artistry of people who help us keep faith that GOD Exists.

Existence-ok