From Abel Leonard, Garaku
Penultimate Saturday, Garaku, in Kokona Local Government, Nasarawa State, was aglow with excitement and joy following the celebration of the annual Omele festival. It is celebrated by the Gwandara people, found in Lafia, Keffi, Akwanga, Garaku and in parts of Plateau, Kaduna and Niger states, as well as the FCT.
This year’s edition featured entertainment, education and culture, and attracted a host of cultural enthusiasts, scholars and fun-seeking guests from far and near. The venue was the palace of the traditional ruler, Sylvester Ayih, and it was chaired by the Deputy Governor, Emmanuel Akabe. It also brought together traditional and community leaders, politicians, government functionaries, women groups and youth groups.
Guests also included Speaker, House of Assembly, Danladi Jatau, Commissioner for Education, John Mamman (who hails from Garaku) and Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, who holds the traditional title of Sarkin Yakin Keffi.
Indeed that Saturday, the rocky community of Garaku resonated like never before with sights and sounds of colourful masquerades, pulsating songs and other cultural displays and artefacts, all of which formed a cascade of pure beauty and entertainment and marked out the special day.
Aspects of the Omele festival included the colourful dance procession led by the paramount ruler of the town, Sylvester Ayih, who was roundly cheered by the crowd of beloved audience and subjects.
Salt is central to the festival. To the local people who spoke to Daily Sun, salt symbolises sweetness, survival and abundance, echoing their ancestral past. Not surprising, women came along with salt as their offering. Different performers carried calabashes filled with salt, which they offered to their ancestors.
The Deputy Governor, represented by Attorney General of the state, Isaac Danladi, offered a message of peace, unity and cultural preservation, urging all ethnic groups to bond together and embrace oneness as a vehicle for sustainable development: “Culture is not just tradition, it is our identity, history and a source of our unity. I commend the Abaga of Toni and the Gwandara people for nurturing this rich heritage.”
The Abaga of Toni urged the public to invest more in culture and cultural tourism, while describing that aspect of life as a tool for economic development. He hailed the children for their performances, as they delightfully sang the anthem of their community: “It’s heart warming to encounter children who know much about their past.”
The latter part of the festival featured the arrival of a favourite masquerade, “Ochre Spirit,” who blessed the crowd with the salt before vanishing to the spirit world.