Nigerian Newspapers
‘I didn’t sleep my way to Miss Eko crown’
By CHRISTINE ONWUACHUMBA
As part of activities that ushered in the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos, a beauty contest, Miss Eko Beauty Pageant was launched, where Grace Ekeoma, a young fashion designer niched the crown. Grace first got into the world of fashion as a 15-year-old, working in an industry that appreciated very tall girls. With her 5 8” height, she broke the mould and found success on runway and more opportunities along the way. In an interview with Saturday Sun, she explains how her life has changed after winning the crown.
Are you still basking in the euphoria of being Miss Eko 2012?
Yes, it is still overwhelming to me.
What was your first reaction when you won?
I was really surprised, because I was not expecting it. There were very pretty girls there, and then, I went there not just as a contestant but to have fun. So, the winning really surprised me.
How do you feel now?
I still feel surprised. And I feel great.
What do you like most about Lagos?
I like the renovation going on. First and foremost, I like the governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola and then every other thing that he is doing, like the renovation, the development and others.
What did you love most about the contest?
I’d say I love the house where we were camped. It was very comfortable. Then, the girls. I had some really good friends there.
What other things interests you?
At present, I am doing fashion design. I have a great passion for fashion. I am also into modelling. Aside modelling, I am also grooming models. I have just started my own modelling agency that I intend to take to the top.
Could you please tell us about your fashion business?
The traditional outfit I wore at the Miss Eko competition was personally designed by me. The beads and the Edo outfit too were also designed by me. I make English shirts, modern clothes mixed with traditional. I so much love to try out innovations with the ankara. They are fun to work with. I am also planning of going to a fashion school so as to take it to the next level.
Do you make all the outfits you wear?
Yes, like what I am wearing now and most of the ones my classmates wear. I have lots of customers in my class. My family wears my outfit and then recently my programme in church the just concluded WAFBEC 2013, I designed some very nice ankara WAFBEC tops and they were really good.
Why do you prefer ankara fabrics?
It is not just ankara. I love anything and everything traditional and African. It doesn’t really necessary has to be ankara, if it is African, our African prints, ankara, wudin, akosombo and aso-oke. I use anything that has a traditional feel, because I believe that they make one stand out.
How has your life changed after you won this contest?
It has changed in a lot of ways. I have not really experienced any negative response from people except the ones I expected. Let me talk about the good side, I hate to dwell on negativity. Life has been easy for me. I didn’t use to drive before, but now I can sit in my car comfortably and go anywhere I want. I have also been financially rewarding. Things are easier now. I can buy stuffs with my money. It’s good.
What does this crown represent for you?
I think it presents some form of prominence.
Are there opportunities it has provided you with?
I have not seen anything yet. In my modelling career, it will definitely boost my profile. I could be called upon by some movie directors to come and do some roles which I could have struggled for if I wasn’t a queen. Then if I was to embark on a pet project, I believe I would get the attention of the governor faster than if I were just an ordinary girl.
What sports activities do you engage in?
I love swimming and volleyball.
Were you able to do these during the contest?
No. The only thing we did during the contest was serious aerobics, exercising, body fitness and they were really intense. By 5 am, we were up jogging around the building. We had a gym instructor that was putting us through body fitness tips. Then we had people from Cway that came to teach us about our body and why water is good for the body. Everything centered around exercising.
What was your winning strategy?
I don’t think I had a winning strategy. My winning strategy was God. I just feel no matter how much physical effort you put into anything, if there is no grace in that journey, if God is not the G-factor of your race, you are going no where. So, number one, the first strategy so-to say was grace. I had a lot of grace on me, and then I had God’s mercy. Then I didn’t forget where I was coming from. I am from a very strong religious background, apart from that, I made sure I said my prayers in the morning. And then I participated fully in every of the house activities, I made sure I was of good behaviour. Because that was also part of the judgment. And then I read a lot, some of my contestants were always laughing at me because I was always reading. I did researches on current affairs, global warming and all the burning issues in the society, questions that I felt would likely be asked. I learnt some new things that I didn’t know before. So, when we came to the question-and-answer part, I was ready. I thank God for the questions I was asked. It wasn’t very difficult though it was brain-tasking. They asked me questions on education. You know, there is something about reading, it prepares you, and it makes you more alert mentally.
How did your family feel about your joining the contest?
I have 100 per cent of their consent. After thanking God, I thank my family. They have always been with me. I started modelling since 2008. Whether good or bad, whether money is coming or not, they have always been watching my back. I had so much love from them, support and prayer. I am happy that they are very proud of me. They have always been there, praying for me and making sure that I never deviated from what I am.
What was the most unnerving part of the contest?
It was the question and answer segment. Our first outing was to show case designer outfit. The second outing was a choreography and the third one was in our traditional outfit and then the question and answer segment. That was what really made everyone nervous, even though I had a bit of confidence because I read. I was a bit uncertain but I knew God would see me through.
Did you ever think you would win?
I had faith, I was never negative. I just had this thing in my heart, I always believe that anywhere you are and you have peace of mind there is always prosperity. I went there with a peace of mind. I didn’t go there to compete with anybody. I went there to experience it. From what I know, peace of mind always brings prosperity. And then I had faith. I never stopped praying. I wasn’t even praying to win; I was just praying that God should have his way. And God had his way.
As a non-indigene of the state, did you ever think you had any chance?
The number one thing I considered in my mind was that Governor Fashola and the pageant crew did not have the mindset of tribalism. The fact that I even got a chance to come in for the audition gave me the confidence that it is not a Yoruba pageant; it’s a Lagos pageant. I am an Igbo girl from Abia State and this is Miss Eko, so I didn’t feel less of myself entering the contest. I just felt this is my place. I was born here and I know so many things here. And of course, I know that the leader we have is not tribalistic.
What was your relationship with the other contestants?
I was friendly with them. In fact, I have a lot of them as trustworthy friends.
Were you the Miss Congeniality?
No. But then I was the best dancer. I was on the funny side, because most of the stuff we did I played with them. As we had a cake competition, I was just laughing and everything they saw about me was fun. They saw that I was there for fun so they related with me on that level. Nobody was too serious with me. I just took everyone as my friend and as sisters. I didn’t portray any form of arrogance or competitiveness.
How are you handling the success and the fame that comes with this crown?
The truth is sometimes I even forget that I am Miss Eko. Apart from the fact that I have a crown, I have a car and other things, I still feel the same: my friends are still my friends; my classmates are still my classmates. It hasn’t made me feel that anyone is less than they have always been. It hasn’t made me feel that I am more than anybody. I just feel that I am just lucky to have won the crown. It could have been anybody. It’s an opportunity and I think God wants me to use it with humility.
What do you hope to achieve during your tenure?
I want to let young girls know of this fact. When I was going to come for Miss Eko, people were telling me that all these pageants already have their winners. They also said that you have to sleep with a man before you could win and that after winning, that some people would want you to be their girlfriend. I was told point blank that I was not going to win. They kept on discouraging me. But, I did not hearken to all those things. What am trying to say is that you don’t have to mess yourself up or sleep with anybody. If it comes to you sleeping with someone, then you don’t deserve what you are pursuing. If I can win it on merit, then any other girl can do same. I did not sleep my way to the top. If you know what you want, go for it and don’t allow anybody to discourage you. Go for it the right way. There is nothing as good as your peace. When you make it and people are saying that you deserve it, it is better. When you have something and you don’t have the confidence to run with it, it is useless. Really youths are the leaders of tomorrow. And the way things are happening, ladies are becoming smarter and standing up to their responsibilities. They are going to school and no longer settles as housewives. I want to show girls that entrepreneurship is very important in this our fast-growing economy. You have to either belong or you will be lost in the crowd. So, if you want to stand out, you have to come out so that people would know you. You have to do it the right way. Integrity is priceless. There is nothing as sweet as integrity. Pursue integrity with all diligence.
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Source: The Sun Newspaper
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
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Sourced From: Tribune Online
•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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